Reef fish display station-keeping and ranging behaviour in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area on the east coast of South Africa

A preliminary assessment of surf-zone and estuarine line fish was carried out in the DwesaCwebe Marine Protected Area (MPA), on the Wild Coast, South Africa. The purpose was to provide baseline data on inshore line-fish stocks in the MPA. A total of 28 species was recorded, of which 53% have a conservation status reflecting some concern and 43% are endemic to southern Africa. This highlights the value of the MPA for protection of important line-fish species. Within the MPA, localised differences were detected in species diversity, size frequency and catch per unit effort between unexploited and illegally exploited areas. These differences were more prominent in slow growing, long-lived species. It thus appears that illegal exploitation is negatively affecting fish populations within the MPA, which counteract and potentially could eliminate the benefits of fish protection typically associated with no-take MPAs. These results highlight the need for improved law enforcement and better communication with neighbouring communities to increase awareness. It is further recommended that the current no-take status of the MPA should be maintained. In addition, baseline fisheries information was collected on certain fish species that could be used to inform future conservation management of the MPA.Conservation implications: The Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area is unique and important for the conservation of key surf zone and estuarine fish species. However there is a significant risk to the fish populations due to illegal exploitation. Key interventions should include enhanced law enforcement but, more important, the creation of alternative livelihoods and long term sustainable benefits to local communities.

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Case Note: The interface between customary rights and environmental legislation: Lessons from Gongqose & Others vs Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries & Others (SCA) 2018

The South African Journal of Environmental Law and Policy ◽

10.47348/sajelp/v26/a5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

pp. 134-160

Author(s):

Alexander Paterson

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Customary Law ◽

Constitutional Court ◽

Eastern Cape ◽

Customary Rights ◽

The Republic ◽

Law And Legislation

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, recognises customary law as an independent and original source of law, subject to the Constitution itself and legislation that specifically deals with customary law. As recognised by the Constitutional Court in Alexkor Ltd vs the Richtersveld Community (2004), customary law, as an independent source of law, may give rise to rights including rights to access and use natural resources. Rights to access and use natural resources are often comprehensively regulated by legislation. Conflicts between customary law and legislation relevant to natural resources may arise, as evidenced in the case of Mr Gongqose, who along with several other community members were caught fishing in the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area situated off the Eastern Cape coastline. Notwithstanding their claims to be exercising their customary rights to fish in the area, they were convicted in the Magistrate’s Court for certain offences in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act (1998), under which the marine protected area had been established. Their appeal to the High Court proved unsuccessful and the Supreme Court of Appeal was tasked with considering the relationship between their customary rights to fish and legislation purportedly extinguishing these rights. The SCA’s judgment in Gongqose & Others vs Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries & Others (2018) is the first of its kind in South Africa to consider the extinguishment of customary rights to access and use natural resources through post-constitutional legislation. This note critically considers the guidance the SCA provided on proving the existence of customary rights to access and use natural resources, and the manner in which they may be extinguished through legislation. While the focus is on marine living resources, the lessons emerging from this case are relevant to other natural resource sectors.

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Assessing the effects of marine protected area (MPA) on a reef fish assemblage in a northwestern Mediterranean marine reserve: Identifying community-based indicators

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2005.12.030 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 130 (3) ◽

pp. 349-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 136

Author(s):

J. Claudet ◽

D. Pelletier ◽

J.-Y. Jouvenel ◽

F. Bachet ◽

R. Galzin

Keyword(s):

Reef Fish ◽

Fish Assemblage ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Marine Reserve ◽

Community Based ◽

Reef Fish Assemblage ◽

Northwestern Mediterranean

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Temporal dynamics of coral reef fish communities in Nha Trang Bay marine protected area, South-Central Vietnam

Environmental Biology of Fishes ◽

10.1007/s10641-011-9913-0 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

pp. 277-293 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Long Van Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Coral Reef ◽

Reef Fish ◽

Coral Reef Fish ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Fish Communities ◽

South Central ◽

Central Vietnam ◽

Nha Trang Bay

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The effects of fish feeding by visitors on reef fish in a Marine Protected Area open to tourism

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2017-0339 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yuri Cruz de Paula ◽

Alexandre Schiavetti ◽

Cláudio L. S. Sampaio ◽

Emiliano Calderon

Keyword(s):

Reef Fish ◽

Protected Area ◽

Marine Protected Area ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Fish Behavior ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Fish Feeding ◽

Human Presence ◽

Video Footage ◽

In Situ Experiments

Abstract: Coral reef-based tourism has risen sharply across the globe, coupled with an increase in fish feeding by visitors. Studies indicate that fish feeding is one of the leading causes of changes in distribution patterns, abundance, the structure of marine fish communities, and fish behavior. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of human presence and fish feeding on the behavior of reef fish by conducting in situ experiments in tide pools in a Marine Protected Area located at the northern limit of the Abrolhos Bank in the South Atlantic Ocean. Eight feeding sessions were conducted and filmed, resulting in a total of 160 minutes of video footage. Each filming session recorded four different experimental conditions alternating between human presence, human absence, and fish feeding. Our findings suggest that fish feeding may cause changes in fish behavior, such as habituation to human presence, conditioning to fish feeding, increased aggressiveness, attacks on humans, and short-term changes in species distribution. The continuation of fish feeding over time can cause an increase in the size of the populations of species that consume food provided during feeding and consequently trigger changes in the structure of communities.

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