Diving Areas

Difference Between MPA and No Take Zone:

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is an area of coastline or ocean where marine life is protected and/or monitored closely by governing bodies. It is there for the benefit of the inhabitants of the area, and for the sea life it supports. Generally MPA’s are situated around sensitive environments, or breeding areas of rare marine life, or where there is a high level of poaching.

No-Take-Zones:

Within an MPA you will find what we call no-take zones. It is a criminal offence to harvest marine life, or even pick up shells within no-take zones. “Why Shells?” you may ask: Shells form an intricate part of the ecosystem, as animals like the hermit crab use empty shells as protection or a “home”. Removing these shells will impact the ecosystem.

Take Zones:

There are two types of take zones within an MPA, some, you are allowed to harvest any legal marine life, and others have certain restrictions. Often these restrictions include sensitive sea life like reef dwelling species, rock lobster or certain mollusks. Take Zones are frequented by fishermen, boats, spearo’s and other sustainable harvesters.

Aptly Located:

Within an MPA, Take and No-Take zones often repeat each other, in order to allow sufficient biodiversity around the area, instead of creating one big take zone, and one no-take.

It might be arbitrarily chosen on map co-ordinates or it might be that the position of these no-take zones are in particularly sensitive or valuable areas, and are there to protect the ocean or area in order to promote diversity or pristineness of a site for other activities (eg. Scuba Diving)

Marine Activity Brochure

Resources: 

https://www.marineprotectedareas.org.za/protecting-the-ocean

https://www.sanparks.org/mpa/

https://www.saambr.org.za/marine-protected-areas-mpas/.

Well-being outcomes of marine protected areas: Ban et al., 2019