Save ocean nature reserves on Marine Protected Areas Day
The Aliwal Shoal near Umkomaas is one of the MPAs celebrated.
Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Day is a South African-born event which has reached a global scale.
With the health of the ocean at risk, scientists and people from around the world are calling for urgent intervention to limit unsustainable fishing practices, regulate the climate, and save the ocean.
Locally, this movement is supported by MPA Day on August 1 – a coordinated effort to support Marine Protected Areas and save these ‘nature reserves of the sea’.
“This year, we’ve noted a major increase in the global call for improved ocean conservation, and we’re excited to elevate this call through MPA Day,” said founder Dr Judy Mann.
“It certainly feels like there is momentum building, with more people joining the growing movement to save our ocean. I think the world is realising that the ocean is at a crossroads, and we need to act now.”
On the South Coast, the focus is on Aliwal Shoal MPA.
Aliwal Shoal and its deep reefs support a thriving scuba diving industry, raggedtooth, tiger and blacktip sharks, beautiful corals growing on fossilised sand dunes, the Produce wreck and a refuge for endangered seabreams.
The expansion of the coastal MPA to approximately 670 km2 includes innovative zoning that protects key deep reefs and the historical spawning grounds of overexploited seabream.
The expanded Aliwal Shoal MPA was proclaimed in 2019 and extends between the Illovo to Mzimayi Rivers and includes the iconic Greenpoint, the popular shore fishing area of Mamba Alley (zoned to accommodate fishing) and the Clansthal and Hayes Rock areas.
The MPA provides protection to the Crown Area – the main area of the Aliwal Shoal Reef popular with divers – and the extension protects deep reefs, endemic fish, catsharks and many mysterious species of the upper slope (to depths of 2200m) that scientists are just starting to explore.
Everyone is encouraged to appreciate the value and benefits of MPAs through shared stories, talks, competitions and ocean-based activities on August 1.
The benefits of areas such as Aliwal Shoal help with protecting breeding and nursery areas to ensure fishery sustainability, increased climate resilience, job creation and tourism, and vital research,
Join the global movement to protect oceans by participating in the upcoming MPA Day celebrations with this year’s theme – Making Connections.
The activities seek to connect people to the ocean and bring conservation awareness to even more people around the world.
More information on the activities will be released soon.
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