THE APPROACH TO SPATIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PLANNING AREAS

This report proposes a spatial management system for South Africa's four Marine Planning Areas (Western, Southern, Eastern, and Prince Edward Islands). The system utilizes general and sector-specific development guidelines alongside a comprehensive zoning scheme—categorizing uses as primary, consent, or prohibited—to coordinate human activities, protect biodiversity, and stimulate the ocean economy within South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone.

• South Africa has established four high-level goals for Marine Spatial Planning: unlocking the ocean economy to increase GDP and create jobs; engaging with the ocean to strengthen marine identity and stewardship; ensuring healthy marine ecosystems by protecting biodiversity; and contributing to good ocean governance through collaborative, knowledge-based decision-making.
• The proposed spatial management system for Marine Area Plans consists of three core components: general development guidelines for sustainable ocean development, sector development guidelines tailored to specific maritime sectors, and a zoning scheme with spatial regulations.
• South Africa's ocean space is divided into four bio-geographic Marine Planning Areas: the Western, Southern, and Eastern Marine Planning Areas (located along the mainland), and the Prince Edward Islands Marine Planning Area. The seaward boundary for all areas is the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and the landward limit is the high-water mark.
• The zoning scheme categorizes sea use into three types: 'Primary use' (priority activity), 'Consent use' (compatible activity approved under specific conditions), and 'Prohibited use' (activity not allowed as it would impede the primary use).
• The document proposes a wide array of specific zones to manage marine space, including Conservation Zones (Strict Protection and Environmental Management), Disposal Zones (Dredge Disposal and Ammunition Dumping), Fisheries Zones (Priority, Resource Protection, and Small Scale/Subsistence), as well as zones for Heritage Conservation, Marine Aquaculture, Marine Tourism, Maritime Transport (Shipping Lanes and Anchorage), Mining, Underwater Infrastructure, and Marine Special Economic Zones.
• Marine Area Plans are intended to be integrated sustainable development plans that are distinct from sectoral development plans. They operate on the presumption that all sectors have an equal right to access ocean resources, but require a balance of conflicting interests based on a sound evidence base and stakeholder engagement.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (n.d.). THE APPROACH TO SPATIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PLANNING AREAS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/marineplanningareas_spatialmanagement_system.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. THE APPROACH TO SPATIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PLANNING AREAS. n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/marineplanningareas_spatialmanagement_system.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=THE APPROACH TO SPATIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PLANNING AREAS |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/marineplanningareas_spatialmanagement_system.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrightsndapproach, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{THE APPROACH TO SPATIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PLANNING AREAS}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/marineplanningareas_spatialmanagement_system.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }