Marine protected areas show future for sea life

Marine life is rapidly declining and urgent action is needed to protect it – one such action being the establishment of marine protected areas (MPA).

In the build-up to MPA Day on 1 August, South African scientist Dr Bruce Mann highlights the value of these ‘nature reserves of the sea’.

ALSO READ: Marine Protected Areas and the role they play in ocean conservation

“MPAs provide many benefits for both ocean health and human activities,” said Mann, a research associate at the Oceanographic Research Institute (Ori) in Durban.

“One benefit is that they enable fish stocks to increase in abundance and biomass and, over time, these spill over into adjacent fished areas, improving catches and ensuring fisheries’ sustainability.”

One thing that stands out to Mann is that these conservation areas give a clear view of what nature looks like without human impact.

“This forms a useful ‘control’, which provides a solid foundation for our research into the natural world and the conservation techniques needed. By looking after these special places, we can make a real difference.”

He shared three examples of MPA’s: Scotsman tagged in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area (Eastern Cape); giant kingfish tracked from southern Mozambique to the Eastern Cape; and catch and release angling at iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

A 20-year study in the iSimangaliso MPA tested if catch and release can help conserve shore angling species.

The study tagged fish caught by volunteer anglers in zoned areas within the MPA.

The findings showed that when best-practice handling was used, catch and release angling had minimal impact on most species, but more sensitive species still showed higher post-release mortality, especially with increased angling pressure.

The study concluded that while catch and release is not suitable in strict no-take zones, it offers real conservation value as a buffer around MPAs or in specially zoned areas.

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