NEW ISIMANGALISO MPA BOUNDARIES

[REEFMAN]

Apparently zoning still to take place:
As to whether fishing is allowed or No take zones... so we'll see.
There are already some protected areas where no fishing is allowed - eg between Bhanga and Kosi Mouth

[Plugger]

Looks like from the Mapelane lighthouse to the border. I can support a no bottom fishing rule but imagine a no fishing at all. I think that would be unlikely considering the economic implications.Still with the intellectual Giants in charge I suppose anything is possible.

[Marthin]

Have been more than one shock recently, The area around Robben Island is also now closed.

[Half-Pint]

Just hope what ever regulations are brought in are enforced uniformly and not only against the soft targets

[REEFMAN]

https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201905/42479rg10950gon788.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2Bp-CPhqFut-D7yD7f2iqoZeMqxzu2ozp3U2t_WL79xYG7FhZqKXcLYnY
These are the new Zones.
Briefly had a look at it... what I see that is quite important:


Kosi Restricted Zone (KRZ)  This Restricted Zone is situated between, as a northern limit, point A at the South African-Mozambique border and, as a southern limit, point a just north of the Kosi Estuary mouth along the high water mark and extends 200m seawards of the high water mark.
South of the Estuary, fishing is allowed for 500m south.
So that's practically the end of Shore Angling in Kosi.

Railway Ledges Restricted Zone (RLRZ) ThisRestricted Zone is situated between, as a northern limit, point t south of Crayfish Point and, as a southern limit, point u approximately 2.5km north of the wreck of the Jolly Rubino along the high water mark and extends 200m seawards of the high water mark.

Practically, you can't fish anywhere past Crayfish point...


In the pic below, anything with an RZ in it is a RESTRICTED ZONE -NO FISHING!

CRZ IS A CATCH AND RELEASE ZONE, NO TAKE.

[REEFMAN]

Kosi Controlled fishing area:
Approx 400m North of Estuary to 500m South of Estuary, using the Co-ordinates supplied in the Govt Gazette

[HooknCook]

So does this mean that a portion of Cape vidal becomes A restricted Zone enow?

[REEFMAN]

(2) No  person may    undertake  fishing  in  any Inshore Controlled or Inshore Controlled Catch and Release Zones     between sunset in the  evening and  sunrise  of  the  following  day,  except  with  the permission of the management authority.
(3)    No  person may    undertake fishing in any Offshore Controlled or Offshore Controlled Catch and Release Zones    between sunset in the evening and sunrise of the following day.

NO FISHING AT NIGHT!!! 

[REEFMAN]

So does this mean that a portion of Cape vidal becomes A restricted Zone enow?

No they are CONTROLLED ZONES. Fishing is allowed with a license.There is a new Zone in Vidal though, a CATCH AND RELEASE ZONE. The co-ordinates are on the last page of the Govt Gazette that I posted.

[REEFMAN]

In all CATCH AND RELEASE ZONES only BARBLESS hooks are allowed.

[HooknCook]

What a joke, now how will they ever be able to enforce that....

[REEFMAN]

So there is an OFFSHORE RESTRICTED ZONE that runs the entire length of the MPA.

(1) iSimangaliso Offshore Restricted Zone North (IORZN)comprises the  northern  offshore  section  of  the  iSimangaliso  Marine  Protected Area and is defined as the area within straight lines sequentially joining the   following points; R, B, H, G, F, S and a line  joining the first co-ordinate to the last along the line 200m offshore of the high water mark; Note that this includes the entire outer 10 nautical miles of this MPA between  the  southern  Wilderness  zone  boundary  at  Red  Sands (Liefeldt’s Rocks) and the northern MPA boundary at the Mozambican border.

(2) iSimangaliso Offshore Restricted Zone South (IORZS)comprises the  southern  offshore  section  of  the  iSimangaliso  Marine  Protected Area and is defined as the area within straight lines sequentially joining the following offshore points; J, I, C, M and a straight line joining the first  co-ordinate  to  the  last;  Note  that  this  includes  the  outer approximately 10  nautical  miles  of  this  MPA  between  the  southern Wilderness  zone  boundary  at  Leven  Point  and  the  southern  MPA boundary south of the Cape St. Lucia lighthouse.

Confusing... I plotted out the Co-ordinates for this zone and it appears to start 65kms out to sea?

[REEFMAN]

Catch and release Zone

[Visenvryheid]

Are the new zones for Isimangaliso "no take" zones or fishing restricted zones? The picture above, there are at least 3 MPA's that I fish in, one no take which I have permit for and can fishing from the side in certain zones a few times a month during the day with special and strict limits and strict enforcement, two or more MPAs, you (anyone) can fish in but no bait collection except squid offshore, one I fish at sea offshore, inshore and from the side..One of them has commercial fishing operations for pelagics, cephlapods and reef fish but no take zones with in the reserve for all fishing, and another no fishing from any vessel in the reserve and I fish from the side..Some reserves are only no kreef zones..It would be nice to know the specifics of the new reserves that are popular areas like robben and isimangaliso..
On another note..the map above actually makes me glad and think that someone in authority is actually trying to do something for the fish stocks for the first time in years. I think the new MPAs above, the picture above, looks good on the whole for our seas and fishes and future fishing. I am stoked. I think this needs to be an evolving scene. Like the one of the worlds oldest MPAs which was opened up for residents but with strict new revised lower limits (and no take and also slot limits for various endangered species) and strict monitoring and enforcement (hence no night fishing, sign in and sign out and catch and bait inspected) and providing lots of data for scientists to work with.
I think in the future we should have a gov' accredited guide system so tourists can also have access to the fishing in MPAs and have a standard of guiding that is world class, with strict limits and monitoring as has been done in Tsitsikamma. That way gov' can allow residents to create their own employment and realize and quantify the immense value of the catch and release sport fishery with untouched pristine stocks.It IS something we all should get to experience, and the creation of MPA's is the only way to get there, the resident permit system being trialed (after being forced in court) AND a permitted guide system with residents who are accredited. Now if we can only keep the chinese out of mozam and east africa somehow eish...
Sometimes one must step backwards to make a conscious step in the right direction. The finer details would be great though, the large offshore zones could be to stop trawling or protect from foreign fishing or for some other reason? Tsitsikamma for example is largely offshore and the reef fish on the offshore protected reefs move in and out of the park, the large offshore zone though is for when upwells occur and the fish all concentrate on the pinnacles, in the old days the trawlers would park offshore and scoop mega tons up, and we wonder where the reef fish went?! This was all stopped with the park extended further offshore. They still trawl for hake etc outside of the park but in the mudflats, the reefs now protected. I wonder if this is the same. The inshore fishing from boat either side of the park can be pretty epic even though the reef fish are STILL not recovered. I think this is all a step in the right direction.. We need further steps though. And also inclusion of sport fishing, in a sustainable manner. There will be no conservation if it does not benefit the locals financially, this has been shown time and time again world wide.

[REEFMAN]

Dr Hoffman where did you get that pic from? Looks like Google Earth? Please post a link to it. Very interesting.

[Visenvryheid]

https://www.marineprotectedareas.org.za/explore

Sorry bud picture from there..

https://www.traveller24.com/Explore/Green/meet-sanparks-3-new-marine-protected-areas-to-visit-on-your-next-nature-escape-20190527

Also in the news there. It is all very interesting, the first major changes in fisheries conservation in years..One must find out the specifics of each area though. For example in helderberg/strand one can fish in MPA's with line from shore, but no kreefing allowed and no boatfishing so no-one taking kreef on the sly..each has specifics. I am curious myself..Local consessions will be given to locals to subsistance fish with strict limits, and strict enforcement, hence as said no night fishing, so that that can be effectively enforced..or sign in and sign out policies and data collection enforced. We should lobby though for accredited local guides for catch and release fishing though, that will really bring the impact of MPA's home.. I've had some days fishing from the side in MPA's that one only normally be experienced on a boat on an unfished reef. It used to be far better and only with MPA's and slot limits will we get there, and of course education and enforcement. It would be nice and also educational to be able to take others there and guide them for awesome shot for shot fishing for rare species for catch and release..why not..If it required barbless hooks, why not?

All very interesting..

Also commercial netting in SA needs to be carefully looked at, it makes no point to conserve here and rape there..Why must I conserve stocks today for a commercial netting vessel to go take it all tomorrow, the old story of balance needs to be redressed. Recreational fishing and its economic impact has now been studied in SA and it's needs must be balanced against the needs for conservation and commercial fishing. In the past in SA conservation and sport fishing has received the short end of the stick but that needs to be redressed. Also small scale commercial pelagic and bait licenses for small vessels so that we can create our own jobs in sustainable carefully monitored fisheries..

[Visenvryheid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTHWE4HkqdY

Thanks to Willem for posting on the other forum..Dr Bruce Mann explains the new MPA's. First good news for SA fishing in years.