What is an MPA?
Marine Protected Area - that's what the acronym MPA stands for. Bird Island and St. Croix Island in Algoa Bay are MPA's. A larger MPA of an envisaged 120 000 hectares is proposed for Algoa Bay. This area will stretch for about 75km along the coast from the Port of Ngqura to Cannon Rocks near Alexandria. Offshore, at it’ll go out for as far as 20km at its furthest point.
The main objectives of the MPA are to conserve biodiversity, focus on threatened, over overexploited species, contribute to rebuilding fish stocks and minimising conflict and cost to fisheries activities. The area is key as it is home to the highest percentage of endemic line fish species, hosts the largest breeding populations of gannets and penguins and has the longest, most productive sandy beach in the Southern Hemisphere.
However, an extensive public participation process will take place to gather issues and concerns of interested and affected parties before an application is made for proclamation of this MPA
Here is an awesome illustrated guide explaining how they work by Amelia Urry - who is an editor at a website called Grist. Grist is a non-profit Grist who focus on environmental news and commentary, especially climate change.
Check em out here http://grist.org/
The illustrated guide to MPA's was found here http://grist.org/living/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-marine-protected-areas/
The main objectives of the MPA are to conserve biodiversity, focus on threatened, over overexploited species, contribute to rebuilding fish stocks and minimising conflict and cost to fisheries activities. The area is key as it is home to the highest percentage of endemic line fish species, hosts the largest breeding populations of gannets and penguins and has the longest, most productive sandy beach in the Southern Hemisphere.
However, an extensive public participation process will take place to gather issues and concerns of interested and affected parties before an application is made for proclamation of this MPA
Here is an awesome illustrated guide explaining how they work by Amelia Urry - who is an editor at a website called Grist. Grist is a non-profit Grist who focus on environmental news and commentary, especially climate change.
Check em out here http://grist.org/
The illustrated guide to MPA's was found here http://grist.org/living/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-marine-protected-areas/
