Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area

The Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area is a marine conservation area in Nelson Mandela Bay, Port Elizabeth.[1]

Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area
Addo Elephant National Park MPA location
LocationEastern Cape, South Africa
Nearest cityPort Elizabeth
Coordinates33°45′S 26°05′E
Established2018
Governing bodySANParks

History

The MPA was proclaimed by the Minister of Environmental Affairs, in terms section 43 of the Marine Living Resources Act, 18 of 1998.

MPA established date: 2005[1]

Mix of restricted and controlled zones. Consultation with commercial fishermen, divers and other members of the public.[2]

Approved by Cabinet on Wednesday, 24 October 2018,[3] and proclaimed on 23 May 2019.[4]

The original section of the park was founded in 1931, in part due to the efforts of Sydney Skaife, in order to provide a sanctuary for the eleven remaining elephants in the area. The park has proved to be very successful and currently houses more than 600 elephants and a large number of other mammals.[5]

Purpose
See also: Marine protected area

A marine protected area is defined by the IUCN as "A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values".[6]

The Addo MPA is focused on protecting economically important linefish like kob and white steenbras.[2]

Extent

The MPA extends 80 km eastward from Coega harbour, with an area of 1200 km2,[2] and includes the estuary of the Sundays river from S33°37.665’, E025°44.082’ to the mouth of the river. The MPA includes the seabed and the water above it.[7]

Boundaries

The boundaries of the MPA are:[7]

  • North-western boundary: S33°46.792', E25°43.273' to S33°48.167', E25°42.000'
  • Western boundary: S33°48.167', E25°42.000' to S33°52.500', E25°42.000'
  • Southern boundary: S33°52.500', E25°42.000' to S33°52.500', E26°31.772'
  • Eastern boundary: S33°52.500', E26°31.772' to S33°45.202', E26°31.772'
  • Northern boundary: S33°45.202', E26°31.772' to S33°46.792', E25°43.273' along the high-water mark, and S33°37.665', E25°44.082' in the estuary of the Sundays River.

Zonation

The MPA has a mix of restricted and controlled zones. Commercial fishermen, divers and other members of the public were consulted during the planning phase.[2]

Restricted zones

Bird Island inshore and offshore restricted zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: S33°43.257’, E026°09.1636’ to S33°46.037’, E026°19.458’ along the high-water mark, then from S33°46.037’E026°19.458’ to S33°45.951’ E026°29.350’, 200 m seawards of the high-water mark.
  • Eastern boundary: S33°45.951’ E026°29.350’ to S33°52.500’, E026°29.350’
  • Southern boundary: S33°52.500’, E026°29.350’ to S33°52.500’, E026°10.000’
  • Western boundary: S33°52.500’, E026°10.000’ to S33°43.257’, E026°09.1636’

St. Croix Island offshore restricted zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: S33°46.792, E025°43.273’ to S33°43.325’, E025°51.607’, 200 m seawards of the high-water mark.
  • Eastern boundary: S33°43.325’, E025°51.607’ to S33°52.500’, E025°51.607’
  • Southern boundary: S33°52.500’, E025°51.607’ to S33°52.500’, E025°42.000’
  • Western boundary: S33°52.500’, E025°42.000’ to S33°48.167’, E025°42.000’
  • North-western boundary: S33°48.167’, E025°42.000’ to S33°46.792’, E025°43.273’

Sundays inshore restricted zone:

  • Northern boundary: S33°42.491’, E025°57.35’ to S33°43.257’, E026°09.1636’, along the high-water mark
  • Eastern boundary: S33°43.257’, E026°09.1636’ to S33°44.328’, E026°10.000’
  • Southern boundary: S33°44.328’, E026°10.000’ to S33°43.541’, E025°57.350’
  • Western boundary: S33°43.541’, E025°57.350’ to S33°42.491’, E025°57.35’

Sunday’s River estuary mouth restricted zone:

  • Northern boundary: S33°43.179’, E025°50.762’ to S33°43.048’, E025°51.447’
  • Eastern boundary: S33°43.048’, E025°51.447’ to S33°43.309’, E025°51.530’
  • Southern boundary: S33°43.309’, E025°51.530’ to S33°43.441’, E025°50.843’
  • Western boundary: S33°43.441’, E025°50.843’, to S33°43.179’, E025°50.762’

Sunday’s River estuary restricted zone:

  • The estuary below the high-water mark between S33°41.029’, E025°46.248’ at the "Koppies" and S33°37.665’, E025°44.082’

Controlled zones

Cannon Rocks inshore and offshore controlled zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: S33°45.951’, E026°29.350’ along the high-water mark to S33°45.202’, E026°31.772’
  • Eastern boundary: S33°45.202’, E026°31.772′ to S33°52.500’ E026°31.772’
  • Southern boundary: S33°52.500’, E026°31.772’ to S33°52.500’, E026°29.350’
  • Western boundary: S33°52.500’, R026°29.350’ to S33°45.951’ E026°29.350’

Cape Padrone inshore controlled zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: From S33°46.037’, E026°19.458’ along the high-water mark to S33°45.951’, E026°29.350’
  • Southern boundary: a line 200m offshore of the northern boundary

Sundays inshore and offshore controlled zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: From S33°43.188’, E025°51.607’ along the high-water mark to S33°42.491’, E025°57.350’, then south to S33°43.541’, E025°57.350’, and then to S33°44.328’, E026°10.000’
  • Eastern boundary: S33°44.328’, E026°10.000′ to S33°52.500’, E026°10.000’
  • Southern boundary: S33°52.500’, E026°10.000’ to S33°52.500’, E025°51.607’
  • Western boundary: S33°52.500’, E025°51.607’ to S33°43.188’, E025°51.607’

Algoa Bay zone for sustainable aquaculture:[7]

  • A zone within the Sundays inshore and offshore controlled zone,
  • Northern boundary: S33°45.3383’, E25°51.6075’ to S33°45.3383’, E25°52.88052’
  • Eastern boundary: S33°45.3383’, E25°52.88052’ to S33°48.07272’, E25°52.88052’
  • Southern boundary: S33°48.07272’, E25°52.88052’ to S33°48.0783’, E25°51.6075’
  • Western boundary: S33°48.0783’, E25°51.6075’ to S33°45.3383’, E25°51.6075’

Sundays inshore controlled zone:[7]

  • Northern boundary: S33°46.792’, E025°43.273’ to S33°43.336’, E025°50.810’ along the high-water mark west of the Sundays River mouth, and S33°43.204’, E025°51.497’ to S33°43.188’, E025°51.607’ along the high-water mark east of the Sundays River mouth
  • Southern boundary: a line 200m offshore of the northern boundary
  • There is a gap between S33°43.336’, E025°50.810’ and S33°43.204’, E025°51.497’ that is part of the Sundays River estuary mouth restricted zone.

Sunday’s River estuary controlled zone:[7]

  • The estuary below the high-water mark, between the boundary of the Sundays River estuary mouth restricted zone and S33°41.029’, E025°46.248’, at the "Koppies".

Management

The marine protected areas of South Africa are the responsibility of the national government, which has management agreements with a variety of MPA management authorities, in this case, South African National Parks (SANParks), which manages the MPA with funding from the SA Government through the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).[6][1]

The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is responsible for issuing permits, quotas and law enforcement.

Use
  • Whale and dolphin watching ecotourism (Bottlenose dolphins, Orca and several whale species)[4]
  • Scuba diving with permit in specified zones.
  • Recreational angling with permit in specified zones
  • Waterskiing and recreational boating in the estuary

Activities requiring a permit

A permit must be issued by the management authority for the following activities:

  • Scientific research and monitoring[8]
  • White shark cage-diving[8]
  • Salvage operations[8]
  • Maintenance of legal underwater infrastructure[8]
  • Underwater photography[8]
  • Other activity authorized in terms of legislation[8]

Scuba diving

Scuba diving in the MPA is only allowed in the Marine Protected Area in the St Croix offshore restricted zone, the Cannon Rock inshore and offshore controlled zone and the Sundays inshore and offshore controlled zone. The diver must be in possession of a personal permit to dive in marine protected areas. Operating a scuba diving business in these zones requires the operator to have a permit for that purpose.[8]

Geography

Climate of the Eastern Cape
See also: Climate of South Africa

Ecology
Marine ecoregions of the South African Exclusive Economic Zone: Addo Elephant National Park Marine Protected Area is in the Aguhas ecoregion.

Rocky shores, sandy shores, offshore reef, soft marine sediments and estuaries are all represented in the MPA.[1]

The MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas inshore marine ecoregion to the east of Cape Point which extends eastwards to the Mbashe River. There are a large proportion of species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[9][10]

Three major habitats exist in the sea in this region, distinguished by the nature of the substrate. The substrate, or base material, is important in that it provides a base to which an organism can anchor itself, which is vitally important for those organisms which need to stay in one particular kind of place. Rocky shores and reefs provide a firm fixed substrate for the attachment of plants and animals. Sandy beaches and sediment bottoms are a relatively unstable substrate and cannot anchor many of the benthic organisms. Finally there is open water, above the substrate and clear of the sessile biota, where the organisms must drift or swim. Mixed habitats are also frequently found, which are a combination of those mentioned above.[11]

Rocky shores and reefs There are rocky reefs and mixed rocky and sandy bottoms. For many marine organisms the substrate is another type of marine organism, and it is common for several layers to co-exist. Examples of this are red bait pods, which are usually encrusted with sponges, ascidians, bryozoans, anemones, and gastropods, and abalone, which are usually covered by similar seaweeds to those found on the surrounding rocks, usually with a variety of other organisms living on the seaweeds.[11]:Ch.2

The type of rock of the reef is of some importance, as it influences the range of possibilities for the local topography, which in turn influences the range of habitats provided, and therefore the diversity of inhabitants. Sandstone and other sedimentary rocks erode and weather very differently, and depending on the direction of dip and strike, and steepness of the dip, may produce reefs which are relatively flat to very high profile and full of small crevices. These features may be at varying angles to the shoreline and wave fronts. There are fewer large holes, tunnels and crevices in sandstone reefs, but often many deep but low near-horizontal crevices.

Sandy beaches and unconsolidated sedimentary bottoms (including silt, mud, sand, shelly, pebble and gravel bottoms) Loose sediment bottoms at first glance appear to be fairly barren areas, as they lack the stability to support many of the spectacular reef based species, and the variety of large organisms is relatively low. The sediment is continually being moved around by wave action, to a greater or lesser degree depending on weather conditions and exposure of the area. This means that sessile organisms must be specifically adapted to areas of relatively loose substrate to thrive in them, and the variety of species found on a sandy or gravel bottom will depend on all these factors. Loose sedimentary bottoms have one important compensation for their instability, animals can burrow into the sediment and move up and down within its layers, which can provide feeding opportunities and protection from predation. Other species can dig themselves holes in which to shelter, or may feed by filtering water drawn through the tunnel, or by extending body parts adapted to this function into the water above the sediment.[11]:Ch.3

The open sea

Animals

Species protected by this MPA:

Mammals:

Birds:

Fish:

Invertebrates:

Endemism

The MPA is in the warm temperate Agulhas inshore marine bioregion to the east of Cape Point which extends eastwards to the Mbashe River. There are a large proportion of species endemic to South Africa along this coastline.[9][10] Nelson Mandela Bay has the largest proportion of endemic marine invertebrates and seaweeds on the South African coastline.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Bird Island". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  2. Rogers, Guy (31 October 2018). "Addo marine protected area to boost key species". The Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2019 – via Pressreader.com.
  3. "South Africa announces new Marine Protected Area Network". 27 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  4. "Addo Elephant National Park MPA". www.marineprotectedareas.org.za. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  5. "Visit Africa: Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa". visitafrica.site. Retrieved 2020-09-04.
  6. "Marine Protected Areas". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  7. "R116: Draft Notice Declaring the Addo Elephant Marine Protected Area under Section 22A of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No,57 of 2003)" (PDF). Regulation Gazette No. 10553. Pretoria: Government Printer. 608 (39646). 3 February 2016.
  8. "R114: Draft Regulations for the management of the Addo Elephant Marine Protected Area" (PDF). Regulation Gazette No. 10553. Pretoria: Government Printer. 608 (39646). 3 February 2016.
  9. Jones, Georgina (2008). A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. Cape Town: SURG. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9.
  10. Sink, K.; Harris, J.; Lombard, A. (October 2004). Appendix 1. South African marine bioregions (PDF). South African National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment 2004: Technical Report Vol. 4 Marine Component DRAFT (Report). pp. 97–109.
  11. Branch, G.M.; Branch, M.L. (1985). The Living Shores of Southern Africa (3rd impression ed.). Cape Town: C. Struik. ISBN 0 86977 115 9.
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