TOWARDS HEALTHY OCEANS AND RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES

The document describes Small-Scale Fishing Zones (SSFZs) as designated marine areas in South Africa designed to prioritise small-scale fishing practices through a co-management framework involving fishers and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). These zones aim to empower historically marginalised coastal communities by providing preferential access to resources and a role in local governance. The text highlights that SSFZs can serve as 'other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs), contributing to the Global Biodiversity Framework's '30x30' target to conserve 30% of the world's land and ocean by 2030. WWF South Africa supports this transition by helping communities establish co-operatives and implement ecosystem restoration pilot projects.

• Small-scale fishing zones (SSFZs) are designated marine areas intended to prioritise small-scale fishing practices and protect coastal livelihoods. While provided for in the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998 (MLRA), they are currently 'mostly conceptual', with practical implementation steps still under development.
• The implementation of SSFZs relies on a co-management framework where small-scale fishers partner with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). Key components include preferential access for local fishers, co-governance in decision-making, and inclusive co-management of resources.
• SSFZs have the potential to be recognised as 'other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs), which would help South Africa contribute to the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) '30x30' target of conserving 30% of the world's land and ocean by 2030.
• Since 2023, over 170 small-scale fishing co-operatives have been established, which operate as legal entities with 15-year fishing rights under South Africa’s Small-Scale Fishery Policy.

APA

WWF South Africa (2026). TOWARDS HEALTHY OCEANS AND RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/ssfz-factsheet-draft-3_20may26.pdf

Chicago

WWF South Africa. TOWARDS HEALTHY OCEANS AND RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES. 2026. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/ssfz-factsheet-draft-3_20may26.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF South Africa |title=TOWARDS HEALTHY OCEANS AND RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES |date=2026 |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/ssfz-factsheet-draft-3_20may26.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfsouthafrica2026towards, author = {{WWF South Africa}}, title = {{TOWARDS HEALTHY OCEANS AND RESILIENT LIVELIHOODS FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, year = {2026}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/ssfz-factsheet-draft-3_20may26.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }