A new paper examining the state of knowledge of the social and economic effects of South African MPAs has been published in the African Journal of Marine Sciences. The study has reviewed the gazetted purposes and objectives of existing MPAs in South Africa to determine the extent to which social and economic objectives have been included. The paper also examines literature to understand efforts to assess social and economic effects of South Africa’s MPAs. The findings from the review indicate that most of the MPAs that were declared before 2019 did not include objectives directly related to people or their needs and that social or economic research has been undertaken in fewer than half of the 23 coastal MPAs. The existing literature is largely limited to studies on negative impacts of MPAs on adjacent rural communities; selected aspects of tourism; and various aspects related to resource use.
The study makes recommendations to guide future efforts in setting objectives and assessing socio-economic effects for MPAs in South Africa and elsewhere. Key among these is the urgent need for collaborative action in the development of clear ecological, socio-economic and governance objectives for each of South Africa’s MPAs; and the need to identify and implement opportunities that enhance tangible benefits associated with MPAs so as to build support for the MPA.