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This policy briefing argues for the expansion and improved management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in South Africa to enhance socio-ecological resilience. It highlights the gap between South Africa's current MPA coverage and global conservation targets, while discussing the benefits of MPAs for fisheries, climate adaptation, and biodiversity, alongside the challenges of sectoral conflict and customary rights.

This report reviews the second phase (2012-2014) of the WWF Sanlam Partnership, focusing on securing South Africa's freshwater ecosystems. The partnership integrates conservation efforts with corporate sustainability, targeting the protection of strategic water source areas, the implementation of water stewardship in business, and the integration of water risk into financial investment and insurance practices.

The Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998 is a South African law designed to ensure the conservation and sustainable utilization of marine ecosystems. It establishes a regulatory system for allocating fishing rights (commercial, small-scale, and recreational) based on total allowable catches and applied effort. The Act emphasizes social transformation, aiming to rectify historical imbalances in the fishing industry. It provides the state with robust enforcement powers, including the use of fishery control officers and the ability to seize vessels, while creating a dedicated fund to support marine resource administration.

A government notice issued by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism declaring the Prince Edward Islands as Special Nature Reserves under the Environment Conservation Act of 1989.

This document consists of negotiating mandates and reports from several South African provincial legislatures—Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West, and Western Cape—regarding the Marine Spatial Planning Bill [B 9D-2017]. The provinces generally support the Bill, which aims to establish a framework for marine spatial planning, coordinate ocean use across multiple sectors, and promote a sustainable ocean economy, while proposing various amendments related to governance, definitions, and inclusivity.

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.

The WWF Sanlam Living Waters Partnership Five-year Review documents the outcomes of a collaboration launched in August 2007 between WWF South Africa and Sanlam to manage South Africa's marine and freshwater ecosystems. The partnership focused on innovative conservation solutions, capacity building, and public awareness to address water scarcity and the degradation of aquatic resources.