What Are MPAS?
Marine Protected Areas (MPAS) are protected areas of seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity for a conservation purpose, typically to protect natural or cultural resources. Such marine resources are protected by local, state, territorial, native, regional, national, or international authorities and differ substantially among and between nations. This variation includes different limitations on development, fishing practices, fishing seasons and catch limits, moorings, and bans on removing or disrupting marine life. In some situations (such as with the Phoenix Islands Protected Area), MPAs also provide revenue for countries, potentially equal to the income that they would have if they were to grant companies permission to fish. The value of MPA to mobile species is unknown.
How Many MPAS In South Africa?
South Africa has 11,280,684 hectares or 9.2% of its total land area categorized as Protected Areas which include nineteen National Parks, forty-two Marine Parks, five UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, twenty-seven Ramsar sites, and a number of Transfrontier Parks.
What Is The Function Of MPAs?
MPAs are globally important management tools that are expected to;
- Control and manage human activities and marine uses.
- Promote the recovery of exploited marine populations.
- Conserve or restore habitats, biodiversity, and food webs.
- Manage and enhance ecosystem services such as food production, and water production.
What Are The Types Of Marine Protected Areas?
Examples of Marine Protected areas include marine reserves, marine sanctuaries, national parks, and wildlife refuges.
How Do You Manage MPAs?
Effective Management refers to reducing threats in a MPA, specifically, the daily activities implemented by managers as well as larger, community-wide efforts to address problems such as local pollution, poorly planned coastal development, and destructive fishing practices.