| Marine
Protected Areas (MPAs) |
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The
marine environment is critical to
the natural and cultural heritage
of the world. Not only do many marine
areas support a great diversity of
plants, animals, and natural habitats,
but the oceans play an essential role
in climatic cycles and other global
processes.
Marine ecosystems and resources are
fundamental to the sustainable development
of coastal countries such as Namibia,
providing food, minerals, pharmaceuticals,
construction materials, and a vast
range of other products. They often
support growing tourism and recreation
industries and play a vital role in
transport and in the culture and lifestyle
of coastal people. .
However, marine ecosystems throughout
the world face increasingly serious
threats from pollution, overexploitation,
conflicting uses of resources, damage
and destruction of habitat, and other
harmful consequences of human development.
Biodiversity is especially at risk.
Conserving marine biodiversity is
therefore a priority.
The world has its eyes on Namibia in this regard, and the benefit of the pronouncing the first offshore MPA in the region would have immense benefits and exposure to our country. |
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The Benefits
of MPA: |
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Conservation
of biodiversity and ecosystems |
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Maintenance of genetic diversity |
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Protection of rare or threatened species and communities |
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Contributions
to technology and scientific knowledge |
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Conservation of scientific reference sites |
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Conservation of cultural heritage |
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Educational opportunities |
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Contribution to sustainable tourism |
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What is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and its objectives? |
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It
must be emphasized that the term “Marine
Protected Area” has no single definition.
It is not necessarily a “NO-NOTHING”
area as often mistakenly understood. The
definition of a Marine Protected Area (MPA)
adopted by IUCN and other international
and national bodies is: Any area of intertidal
or subtidal terrain, together with its overlying
water and associated flora, fauna, historical
and cultural features, which has been reserved
by law or other effective means to protect
part or all of the enclosed environment.
(Kelleher and Kenchington, 1992).
The
main aims of MPAs identified in IUCN's Guidelines
for Establishing Marine Protected Areas
(Kelleher and Kenchington, 1992) are: |
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- To maintain
essential ecological and life support
systems;
- To
ensure the sustainable utilization
of species and ecosystems; and
- To preserve biotic diversity.
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When
considering the utility of MPAs for sustaining
fisheries, it would be hard to argue that
the attainment of any of these fundamental
aims is not essential. They are, however,
general aims and they can be expanded to
the following purposes, most of which are
relevant to fisheries (IUCN, 1994):
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- Scientific
research;
- wilderness protection.
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Because
stoppage of resource use around the islands
will clearly not be acceptable to most stakeholders,
and therefore result in deadlock for the
whole process of creating MPAs, a suggested
IUCN category VI MPA is ideal for the Namibian
Islands (Category VI - Managed Resource
Protected Area: protected area managed mainly
for the sustainable use of natural ecosystems).
The IUCN category VI MPA is an area containing
predominantly unmodified natural systems,
managed to ensure long term protection and
maintenance of biological diversity, while
providing at the same time a sustainable
flow of natural products and services to
meet community needs. The area must also
fit the overall definition of a protected
area.
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The
objectives of management for the IUCN Category
IV are:
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To protect
and maintain the biological diversity
and other natural values of the area
in the long term;
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To promote
sound management practices for sustainable
production purposes;
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To protect
the natural resource base from being
alienated for other land use purposes
that would be detrimental to the area's
biological diversity;
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To contribute
to regional and national development.
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For
more information about IUCN guidelines and
Categories, you can download the following
documents:
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Why Namibia needs Protected Marine
Areas? |
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The
protection and regeneration of marine resources
are priority issues for coastal states in
particular Namibia, whose marine resources
contribute considerably to the socio-economic
welfare of the country. Moreover, the global
fish stock collapses and possible negative
ecosystem effects from mining and fishing
activities has resulted in steps taken to
establish Marine Protected Areas in Namibia.
Benefits of closed area management are increasingly
apparent and recognized, from both resource
management and conservation perspectives.
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Ichaboe Island
(© Collette Grobler) |
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The declaration
of Namibia’s islands and surrounding
areas could serve as a useful and
revolutionary precedent, in paving
the way for further closed area management
tools. This would align well with
temporal, spatial fisheries management
initiatives and tools, contained in
the eco-system approach to fisheries
(EAF) and other requirements in the
SADC Fisheries Protocol. The promulgation
of MPAs feeds favourably into Namibia’s
Vision 2030, the BCLME, and the ecosystem
approach for fisheries management
as reinforced at the G8 meeting in
July 2005.
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African
Penguin Colony
(© Jessica Kemper) |
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According to Dr.
Lindeque, the Permanent Secretary
of the Ministry of Environment and
Tourism, Namibia currently boasts
a good conservation standing. On the
marine side however, Namibia has not
formalized protected areas, and the
present proclamation would well complement
other existing initiatives, parks
and conservancies. Especially with
the immanent declaration of the Sperrgebiet
National Park on the terrestrial side,
the proposed Marine Protected Area
provides an essential component and
ideal complement.
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Cape
Gannet colony
(© Jessica Kemper) |
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Presentation
of the potential MPAs |
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The
areas to be considered as potential MPAs
are:
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Orange River
Wetland - Ramsar site;
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All islands and the immediate marine area around each island;
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The main African
penguin (endangered species), bank
cormorant (endangered species) and
crowned cormorant (near threatened)
feeding sites;
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Lobster sanctuaries;
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Whale calving sites;
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Air space within 1000 feet above all islands and main seal colonies.
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The first Marine
Protected Area will probably be a
'buffer zone' including the 16 Southern
Namibian Islands and several coastal
biodiversity hot spots.
The concept
developed of an inclusive ‘buffer
zone’ as an alternative to the idea
of 16 isolated MPAs is prefered as
it would be almost impossible to implement
and manage 16 different MPAs.
The islands
and coastal hot spots which will be
included in the 'buffer zone' are:
Sinclair Island, Bakers Bay, Plumpudding
Island, Bogenfels, Pomona Island,
Albatross Island, Possession Island,
Elizabeth Bay, Long Island North and
South, Halifax Island, Penguin Island,
Seal Island, Dumfudgeon Rocks, Ladies
Rock, Staple Rocks, Marshall Rocks,
Ichaboe Island, Mercury Island, Spencer
Bay, Oyster Cliffs, Hollamsbird Island
and Meob Bay. The Buffer border will
be from Meob Bay to 42km south of
Sinclair Island. |
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Map
1: Localisation of the MPA
buffer zone (Katta Lydinia - University
of Kiel, Germany) |
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Map
2: Mapping of buffer zone
- Connect 20 X 40 km rectangles around
each island to the coastline (Katta
Lydinia - University of Kiel, Germany) |
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Map3:
Mapping of buffer zone - Adapt to
more user-friendly line approx. 20
km offshore (Katta Lydinia - University
of Kiel, Germany) |
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MPA
declaration process |
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Section
51 of Namibia’s Marine Resources Act
(MRA) of 2001 clearly empowers the Minister
of Fisheries and Marine Resources to declare
Marine Protected Areas as follows:
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The Minister
may, by notice in the Gazette, describe
the boundaries of any area of Namibian
waters and declare such area to be a
marine reserve for the protection or
regeneration of marine resources. |
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Prior to the
declaration of each reserve, the Minister
shall, after consultation with interested
persons, establish objectives for the
management of the reserve and may by
notice specify the activities that may
be conducted within the reserve and
such other requirements respecting the
reserve as may be appropriate for achieving
such objectives, including: |
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the species of marine resources, if any, that may or may not be harvested within the marine reserve;
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the conditions subject to which such marine resources may be harvested;
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the conditions
of access to the marine reserve.
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The Permanent Secretary may in a marine reserve perform any act or allow the performance of any act and take any measures which are not incompatible with the objectives for which the marine reserve has been set aside. |
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The Minister may, by
notice in the Gazette, in accordance
with subsection (1), abolish a marine
reserve or alter its boundaries. (own
emphasis added) |
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Once the MPA is declared, the Management Plans can be incorporated and annually reviewed. |
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Source: Proclamation of Namibia’s offshore islands and surrounding waters as Marine Protected Areas - Heidi Currie |
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For more information about the proclamation of the Namibian Islands as a Marine Protected Area, download the following document: |
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Progress
to date & next step |
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The Honourable Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Dr. Iyambo, has received in May 2008 the final version of the cabinet submission for the proclamation of Namibia's Islands'
Marine Protected Area. He has stated that he intends to call a briefing meeting with the other Permanent Secretaries and Ministers involved, in order to garner their input, before proceeding to cabinet for approval of this important issue.
The revised final draft of the 'Concept note, background document and management proposal for the declaration of Marine Protected Areas on and around the Namibian offshore islands and adjacent coastal areas' is available on this website.
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For
more information and download reports linked
to this activity, please visit Reports
& Publications.
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