MARINE BIODIVERSITY EVIDENCE – A DEA RESEARCH PRIORITY MPA FORUM - 25 OCTOBER 2016 ALAN BOYD – DEA BRANCH OCEANS AND COASTS Oceans and Coasts

Introduction and presentation outline DEA is implementing a programme that stresses the importance of an evidence-based approach to policy development and management. Oceans and Coasts have the responsibilities for implementing different aspects of NEMA: the coastal specific ICM Act, plus marine and coastal aspects of the Protected Areas and Biodiversity Act, as well as our own new policy, the Oceans Bill which is now the Marine Spatial Planning Bill. As a branch, we both collect and collate evidence, to meet the obligations of overall environmental monitoring and management, plus the more specific examples of MPAs, Protected Species and Ecotourism, and evidence relevant to the marine components of EIAs. The use of evidence can be from generic-international perspective, or may need to be country- situation- specific, but often it is a combination. Sometimes the evidence for what needs to be done is good, but evidence regarding “side effects” is not.

Main research areas of O&C Research, are not only biodiversity related Oceans Research Operational Oceanography – measurements & models Ecosystem Functioning – including plankton and ocean chemistry Biodiversity Research Marine biodiversity, including species, EBSAs and MPAs Marine top predators, ecosystem health, marine ecotourism Cross cutting Coastal Research, including water quality, coastal vulnerability assessment, estuaries Antarctic Research

Marine Protected Areas, EBSAs and MSP Have to show need for protection, and that the proposals for expansion are evidence based. Need: In comparison to 8% terrestrial protection, and noting the urgent need for increased freshwater catchment protection, only 0,5 percent of our EEZ under protection. This is insufficient to maintain sustainable benefits from our marine ecosystems.

Objectives of the Phakisa Proposed MPA Representative Network  which comprises 22 MPA proposals Include all habitat types Protect last remnants of threatened ecosystems in good ecological condition Protect sensitive ecosystems Protect key ecological areas: aggregation, nursery, spawning & feeding areas Support fisheries management Spatially efficient with consideration of socio-economic data How the work came together, setup to do, briefly showcase the network. As X said the network was designed to be achieving many things in a small area, we aimed to use a systematic planning approach-least and most benefit for stakeholders and economic dev in SA. We needed to take care of threatened and sensitive ecosystems. We also aimed to protect breeding and feeding and other areas important in the life history of marine species. We designed the network to support the fisheries man-to reduce bycatch and support recovery of resources such as linefish, abalone and rocklobster.

Data layers used for MPAs….. Good bits map Sensitive areas maps Threat status map Pressure mapping cumulative map 27 pressures Focus areas for offshore protection

Namaqua fossil forest Namaqua Coast Orange Shelf Edge Each MPA is individually motivated using best evidence available Orange Shelf Edge 1 960 km2 un-trawled sandy shelf edge Namaqua fossil forest 430 km2 Unique fossilised yellowwood forest Cold water corals Namaqua Coast Approx 1 500 km2 First MPA in the ecoregion - habitats in good condition. OSE-namibian border- important for blue sharks NFF-

Cape Canyon Robben Island Agulhas Mud 660 km2 West coast canyon Lower socio-economic cost Robben Island 620 km2 Island ecosystem Endangered seabirds Agulhas Mud 207 km2 Good condition mud habitat CC- lower-socio-economic impact-whale feeding RI- seabird protection and lower socio-economic for island ecosystem

Addo Elephant Port Elizabeth Corals 1 164 km2 African penguin, linefish & abalone Port Elizabeth Corals 500 km2 Cold water coral reef Kingklip spawning Addo- Recovery for resources eg. kabeljou

22 new MPAs were formally proposed in February 2016 16 EBSAs developed at regional workshops organised by the CBD secretariat – “International benchmarking” At 14 sites EBSAs overlap with proposed MPAs

- MSP provides means of securing EBSAs (e.g. MPAs or other measures) - EBSAs provide evidence for need of protection or risk averse management - MSP provides means of securing EBSAs (e.g. MPAs or other measures) EBSA Identification (technical scientific exercise) using SCP as a tool Marine spatial planning process (political and stakeholder process) Informs Vulnerability assessment of EBSAs using SCP approaches Secures Marine planning regulations and plan implementation Management needs and options of EBSAs (national, transnational)

Marine Protected Species: Key ecotourism research considerations Areas and species suitable for ecotourism Animal behaviour protective measures, permit conditions Monitoring of current activities Research into new activities Noting that: MPAs are often suitable for ecotourism Some activities can occur nationally (BBWW) Others have specific focus areas (sharks, turtles, seabirds)

Specific considerations: Ecotourism and marine research Whales 1. Protecting calving areas to allow nursing. 2. As whales move back to feeding grounds in the southern seas, do not exhaust animals by increasing their avoidance behaviour 3. Refugees created as not all whales reacted positively to tourism 4. Areas restricted to safe launch sites and relative high abundance. 5. Approaches carefully controlled to reduce impact. White sharks 1. Restricted to seal islands which are already attracting sharks 2. Chumming and baiting limited and controlled to prevent habituation 3. Shark attack risks taken into account. 4. Ecosystem changes taken into account.

Some tourist info for WSCD

Estimated number of persons employed Number of tourists Ecotourism sector Number of permits Estimated number of persons employed Number of tourists Estimated average price per person (ZAR) Estimated direct value of sector (million ZAR) Estimated overall value to economy (million ZAR)   Land-based whale watching 80 400 Boat-based whale watching 23 (16 active) 184 42,812 500 21 105 Seals – viewing and diving 2 main sites 30 5 25 White shark cage diving 12 (active) 120 61,404 1,500 92 460 Tiger sharks at Aliwal Shoal 13 39 946–1,198 1,651 1–2 11–14 Other shark diving 18 90 20,000 400–1,200 20 100 Seabird watching 3 main sites 750,000 55 125 Turtle viewing 1 main site 12 3 15 SCUBA diving 540 60 300 Eco Filming 40 (in 2011) 600 Total 428 2,130

Important but not presented here Evidence needed for rezonation of MPAs (biodiversity, species research, likely impacts of exploitation) Information on vulnerability of species (eg for CITES) Alien invasive species – information occurrence and introduction vectors

Summary of evidence needs – Oceans and Coastal Environment MPA habitat information and MPA effectiveness analysis Impacts of activities on habitats and species (damage or disturbance) eg. mining, trawling, aquaculture, pelagic fishing, seismic surveys, other underwater noise Protected species information /Conservation status/information for CITES inputs/positions, invasive species, bio-prospecting Marine ecotourism opportunities and constraints, socio-economics Water quality information (local and global) eg. estuarine health, urban pollution; plastics; low oxygen, ocean acidification Spatial information for MSP Time-series information for state of environment reporting Emerging technologies, viability, benefits and constraints To achieve this evidence, DEA partners with other Departments (eg DST), DEA Institutions (eg SANBI, SANParks), Provinces, Academia