South Africa’s Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035 Draft 3 v1 – Commentary

Natural Justice critiques the South African Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035, stating it lacks concrete analysis on greenhouse gas mitigation and contradicts global scientific consensus by proposing offshore oil and gas exploration. The commentary highlights a 'troubling absence' of biodiversity considerations and fails to address the needs of small-scale and subsistence fishers. It further argues that the plan's job creation claims lack factual support and that the public participation process was flawed, excluding many marginalized coastal communities.

• The Masterplan fails to explain how South Africa will meet its international greenhouse gas mitigation obligations while expanding carbon-intensive industries like marine shipping and offshore oil and gas exploration, with only one "passing mention of the Paris Agreement".
• Proposed offshore oil and gas exploration in the Masterplan is identified as contrary to the global scientific consensus that no new oil or gas fields should be approved for development to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
• There is a significant lack of consideration for marine biodiversity, with no mention of Marine Protected Areas, Critical Biodiversity Areas, or Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas, and a failure to consider the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (NEM: ICMA).
• The Masterplan does not provide solutions for subsistence-based fishers who are excluded from the Marine Living Resources Act (No. 18 of 1998) definitions, nor does it explain how these communities can access aquaculture farm leasing arrangements.
• The public participation process is described as flawed because it relied on online participation, which excluded small-scale fishing communities without internet access, and provided an insufficient 10-day window for commentary.
• Job creation projections in the Masterplan are criticized for lacking underlying data or methodology, specifically regarding the marine shipping sector and the claim that expanding upstream oil and gas sectors will create jobs.
• The document notes a lack of a standardized national approach to managing oil spills and bunkering pollution in South African waters and ports.

APA

Natural Justice (2022). South Africa’s Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035 Draft 3 v1 – Commentary. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SA-Oceans-Economy-Master-Plan_Natural-Justice-Submission.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. South Africa’s Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035 Draft 3 v1 – Commentary. 2022. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SA-Oceans-Economy-Master-Plan_Natural-Justice-Submission.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Natural Justice |title=South Africa’s Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035 Draft 3 v1 – Commentary |date=March 2022 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SA-Oceans-Economy-Master-Plan_Natural-Justice-Submission.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{naturaljustice2022south, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{South Africa’s Oceans Economy Master Plan to 2035 Draft 3 v1 – Commentary}}, publisher = {Natural Justice}, year = {2022}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SA-Oceans-Economy-Master-Plan_Natural-Justice-Submission.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }