In the 1980s a decline in line fish catches was observed by local fishermen who set aside three areas of coastal reef as voluntary refuges for fish stocks to recover: near the Gxulu River mouth, at Gonubie point and at the Kei River mouth They lobbied for these areas to be declared official reserves, which was done in 1984, and in 2011 they were declared marine protected areas, and management taken on by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA)[1][2] The MPA was extended by the addition of the two offshore sectors in 2019
A marine protected area is defined by the IUCN as "A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values".[3]
The MPA protects the red steenbras and seventyfour seabream, as well as a variety of other endemic reef fish.[1]
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Extent
The offshore MPA comprises two offshore areas between Kei Mouth and Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape. The MPA includes the water column, sea bed and subsoil inside the boundaries.[4] The area of ocean protected is about 400km2 The continental shelf is narrow on this part of the coast, so the MPA covers both shelf and slope habitats to a depth of 2200m, including the Gxulu canyon and the Kei river fan.[5] The original three sections of the coastal MPA protect a total of 45km of coastline.[1]
Boundaries
The Kei offshore (northern) area boundaries are:[4]
Northern boundary: S32°42.840’, E28°25.260’ to S32°43’, E28°46’
Eastern boundary: S32°43’, E28°46’ to E33°0’, E28°46’
Southern boundary: E33°0’, E28°46’ to S33°0’, E28°11’
Western boundary: S33°0’, E28°11’ to S32°50.717’, E28°11.154’
North-western boundary: S32°50.717’, E28°11.154’ to S32°49.464′, E28°12.900′
North-eastern boundary: S32°49.464′, E28°12.900′ back to S32°42.840’, E28°25.260’ along the offshore boundary of the inshore Kei area of the original Amathole Marine Protected Area.
The Gxulu offshore (southern) area boundaries are:[4]
Eastern boundary: S33°9.513’, E27°45.913’ to S33°45’, E27°46’
Southern boundary: S33°45’, E27°46’ to S33°45’, E27°11’
Western boundary: S33°45’, E27°11’ to S33°35’, E27°11’
North-western boundary: S33°35’, E27°11’ to S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’
North-eastern boundary: S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’ to S33°9.513’, E27°45.913’ along the offshore boundary of the inshore Gxulu area of the original Amathole Marine Protected Area.
Zonation
There are two restricted areas and one controlled area.[6]
Restricted areas
Kei offshore restricted zone is the whole northern zone within the boundaries described for the Kei offshore area[6]
Eastern boundary: S33°9.513’, E27°45.913’ to S33°45’, E27°46’
Southern boundary: S33°45’, E27°46’ to S33°45’, E27°11’
South western boundary: S33°45’, E27°11’ to S33°35’, E27°11’
West northern boundary: S33°35’, E27°11’ to S33°35’, E27°30’
Central western boundary: S33°35’, E27°30’ to S33°30’, E27°30’
Central northern boundary: S33°30’, E27°30’ to S33°30’, E27°40’
North western boundary: S33°30’, E27°40’ to S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’
East northern boundary: S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’ back to S33°9.513’, E27°45.913’ along the offshore boundary of the Gxulu area of the original coastal Amathole MPA:
Northern boundary: S33°35’, E27°11’ to S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’
Eastern boundary: S33°14.018’, E27°40.422’ to S33°30’, E27°40’
East southern boundary: S33°30’, E27°40’ to S33°30’, E27°30’
South eastern boundary: S33°30’, E27°30’ to S33°35’, E27°30’
West southern boundary: S33°35’, E27°30’ back to S33°35’, E27°11’
Management
The marine protected areas of South Africa are the responsibility of the national government, which has management agreements with a variety of MPA management authorities, in this case the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), which manages the MPA with funding from the SA Government through the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).[3][1]
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for issuing permits, quotas and law enforcement.[7]
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Use
Activities requiring a permit
Fishing
List of game and bait fish species that may be caught in the controlled-pelagic zone of the Amathole offshore MPA: All species in the listed families may be caught.[4]
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Ecology
Marine ecoregions of the South African Exclusive Economic Zone: Amathole Marine Protected Area is in the???? ecoregion
The MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas ecoregion to the east of Cape Point which extends eastwards to the Mbashe River. There are a large proportion of species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[8]
(check below for applicability) Three major habitats exist in the sea in this region, Two of them distinguished by the nature of the substrate. The substrate, or base material, is important in that it provides a base to which an organism can anchor itself, which is vitally important for those organisms which need to stay in one particular kind of place. Rocky shores and reefs provide a firm fixed substrate for the attachment of plants and animals. Some of these may have Kelp forests, which reduce the effect of waves and provide food and shelter for an extended range of organisms. Sandy beaches and bottoms are a relatively unstable substrate and cannot many of the benthic organisms. Finally there is open water, above the substrate and clear of the kelp forest, where the organisms must drift or swim. Mixed habitats are also frequently found, which are a combination of those mentioned above.[9] There are no significant estuarine habitats in the MPA.
Rocky reefs There are rocky reefs and mixed rocky and sandy bottoms. For many marine organisms the substrate is another type of marine organism, and it is common for several layers to co-exist. Examples of this are red bait pods, which are usually encrusted with sponges, ascidians, bryozoans, anemones, and gastropods, and abalone, which are usually covered by similar seaweeds to those found on the surrounding rocks, usually with a variety of other organisms living on the seaweeds.[9]:Ch.2
The type of rock of the reef is of some importance, as it influences the range of possibilities for the local topography, which in turn influences the range of habitats provided, and therefore the diversity of inhabitants. Sandstone and other sedimentary rocks erode and weather very differently, and depending on the direction of dip and strike, and steepness of the dip, may produce reefs which are relatively flat to very high profile and full of small crevices. These features may be at varying angles to the shoreline and wave fronts. There are fewer large holes, tunnels and crevices in sandstone reefs, but often many deep but low near-horizontal crevices.
Sedimentary bottoms (including silt mud, sand, shelly, pebble and gravel bottoms) Sedimentary bottoms at first glance appear to be fairly barren areas, as they lack the stability to support many of the spectacular reef based species, and the variety of large organisms is relatively low. The sediment can be moved around by water action, to a greater or lesser degree depending on weather conditions and exposure of the area. This means that sessile organisms must be specifically adapted to areas of relatively loose substrate to thrive in them, and the variety of species found on a sandy or gravel bottom will depend on all these factors. Unconsolidated sedimentary bottoms have one important compensation for their instability, animals can burrow into the sand and move up and down within its layers, which can provide feeding opportunities and protection from predation. Other species can dig themselves holes in which to shelter, or may feed by filtering water drawn through the tunnel, or by extending body parts adapted to this function into the water above the sand.[9]:Ch.3
The open sea The pelagic water column is the major part of the living space at sea. This is the water between the surface and the top of the benthic zone, where living organisms swim, float or drift, and the food chain starts with phytoplankton, the mostly microscopic photosynthetic organisms that convert the energy of sunlight into organic material which feeds nearly everything else, directly or indirectly. In temperate seas there are distinct seasonal cycles of phytoplankton growth, based on the available nutrients and the available sunlight. Either can be a limiting factor. Phytoplankton tend to thrive where there is plenty of light, and they themselves are a major factor in restricting light penetration to greater depths, so the photosynthetic zone tends to be shallower in areas of high productivity.[9]:Ch.6Zooplankton feed on the phytoplankton, and are in turn eaten by larger animals. The larger pelagic animals are generally faster moving and more mobile, giving them the option of changing depth to feed or to avoid predation, and to move to other places in search of a better food supply.
Marine species diversity
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This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (February 2019)
Endemism
The MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas ecoregion to the east of Cape Point which extends eastwards to the Mbhashe River. There are a large proportion of species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[8]
Alien invasive species
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Threats
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See also
Marine protected areas of South Africa{{Cite journal|title=MPA Declarations |issue=10177 |journal=Regulation Gazette No. 42478 |volume=647 |date=23 May 2019 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MPA-declarations.pdf |publisher=Government Printer |location=Pretoria }}{{Cite web |title=Protected Areas Register |url=https://dffeportal.environment.gov.za/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7e27f116dd194c1f9d446dacc76fe483 |website=dffeportal.environment.gov.za |access-date=10 July 2022}}
The Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area is a coastal and offshore marine protected area between the Lovu and Mzimayi estuaries, off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, South Africa. The MPA contains the popular scuba diving destination Aliwal Shoal
The Browns Bank Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area is an inshore and offshore conservation region, off the coast of the Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape province, in the territorial waters of South Africa.
The Port Elizabeth Corals Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region south of Port Elizabeth in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Agulhas Front Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Agulhas Muds Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation Marine Protected Area region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Robben Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore and offshore conservation region around and near Robben Island in Table Bay in the territorial waters of South Africa.
The Orange Shelf Edge Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region near the edge of the continental shelf in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa off the north coast of the Northern Cape province.
The Benguela Muds Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region on the continental slope of the west coast in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Childs Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Namaqua Fossil Forest Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the territorial waters/exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Browns Bank Complex Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Southwest Indian Seamount Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa.
The Benguela Bank Marine Protected Area is an offshore conservation region in the exclusive economic zone of South Africa
The Jutten Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa in Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape.
The Namaqua National Park Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province in the territorial waters of South Africa. It is closely associated with the Namaqua National Park, with which it has a common border and management.
The Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa
The Malgas Island Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region encompassing Malgas Island, in the territorial waters of South Africa at the entrance to Saldanha Bay on the west coast of the Western Cape province.
The Sixteen Mile Beach Marine Protected Area is a coastal conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa, near Saldanha Bay on the Western Cape coast. The MPA is part of the West Coast National Park which is the core component of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve.
The Amathole Marine Protected Area is an inshore conservation region in the territorial waters of South Africa, near East London on the coast of the Eastern Cape.
1 2 Sink, K.; Harris, J.; Lombard, A. (October 2004). Appendix 1. South African marine bioregions(PDF). South African National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004: Technical Report Vol. 4 Marine Component DRAFT (Report). pp.97–109. Archived(PDF) from the original on 26 May 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
1 2 3 4 Branch, G.M.; Branch, M.L. (1985). The Living Shores of Southern Africa (3rd impressioned.). Cape Town: C. Struik. ISBN0 86977 115 9.
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