Marine Protected Areas in South Africa: from coastal successes to offshore challenges Colin G. Attwood Marine Research Institute University of Cape Town South Africa Kerry Sink South African National Biodiversity Institute South Africa

Atlantic Indian Southern South Africa

Distribution of pressures (27 GIS layers) Alien invasive species Coastal development Disturbance Diamond & other mining Fishing (18 sectors) Freshwater abstraction Oil & gas wells Shark nets Shipping Waste water discharge

19% of coastline in MPAs 9% no-take 0.4% of the E.E.Z. in MPAs 0.16% no-take

Statutory functions of MPAs: extract from Marine Living Resourcs Act The Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare an area to be a marine protected area: (a) for the protection of fauna and flora or a particular species of fauna or flora and the physical features on which they depend; (b) to facilitate fishery management by protecting spawning stock, allowing stock recovery, enhancing stock abundance in adjacent areas, and providing pristine communities for research; or (c) to diminish any conflict that may arise from competing uses in that area.

Statutory functions of MPAs in South Africa (a) Conservation of biodiversity (b) Fisheries management (c) Promote tourism, non-consumptive recreation, research and environmental education

Ecosystem Protection Levels Coastal & Offshore Benthic Ecosystems 2011

How well are fish communities represented in MPAs? Hand-line fishing surveys

Hand-line surveys (41 % representation)

Shore-angling surveys (40% representation)

Estuarine surveys (9% representation)

Demersal trawl surveys (4% representation)

SB/R = 17% SB/R = 34% SB/R = 2% B/B K = 5 to 17% SB/R = 6% B/B K = 20% B/B K = 1 to 5% B/B K = 0.2% Stock status of coastal species SB/R = 24%

Fish populations recovered in MPAs Bennett and Attwood (1991) Marine Ecology Progress Series 75: Survey CPUE (fish per 100 hours)

Fish were more abundant in MPAs than elsewhere Brouwer et al. (1998) South African Journal of Marine Science 24:

Extensive movements of protected galjoen replenish exploited areas Distance moved (km) Time-free (days) Recapture of 1800 tagged fish EastWest Attwood and Bennett (1994) Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 51:

Pelc et al. (2009) Marine Ecology Progress Series 394: Recruitment of black mussels decrease exponentially from the centre of two no- take MPAs.The MPAs enhanced recruitment substantially up to 10 km from the boundaries. MPAs influence recruitment

Did the three MPAs on the Cape Peninsula increase the harvest? A model result.

Telemetric study of fish movement across a no- take MPA boundary. Kerwath et al. (2009) Conservation Biology 23(3): MPA boundary MPA Conclusion: The MPA offers refuge to a large fraction of the stock, and represents the most important mechanism for both conservation and fishery management Exploited area 4 km

Response of roman to protection Götz et al. (2008) Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 245–259

Response of roman to protection Götz et al. (2008) Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 245–259

Response of roman to protection Götz et al. (2008) Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 245–259

Response of roman to protection Götz et al. (2008) African Journal of Marine Science 31(2): 253–262

Response of roman to protection Götz et al. (2008) Marine Ecology Progress Series 362: 245–259

Do we need MPAs beyond the coastal zone? 1. By-catch management 2. Limiting benthic damage

Sole catches have been stable

Prawn trawl Trawl Handline Shore angling Purse-seine Pelagic longline Estuarine angling Beach-seine Fish species ‘mapped’ according to their contribution to eight fisheries

Which areas should be closed to trawling to reduce bycatch in the inshore mixed fishery?

South Africa’s Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems Topographic features that support VMEs -shelf edge, canyons, mounds, deep reefs & hard grounds Reef-building cold water corals Sponge aggregations Bamboo, black & lace coral, octocorals

Experimental design to test the possibility of benthic recovery: Multiple trawling lanes Carbonite sea-mound

Questions from the trawling industry: If the benthos can recover, then what? If it does not recover: what does that mean?

Where should we place our next MPA? Results of a Marxan analysis Thank–you for inviting me to Norway! and for the trout and the moose.