Overview of chapter
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South Africa's coastal and marine resources are under considerable threat and are already severely degraded in many areas due to over-harvesting and urban/industrial development. Unless management of ecosystem integrity and coastal sensitivity to development is improved immediately, these resources will be lost for good. This will make it very difficult to attain much-needed economic growth and meet basic needs in a sustainable manner. Longer term issues such as global warming and sea level rise may also need to be considered.
The National Coastal Management Policy for South Africa makes provision for integrated coastal management and sustainable use of resources. It is essential that this is promulgated and resourced with sufficient capacity and funding to implement and enforce the recommendations. This will ensure the coastal and marine systems can maintain their production potential over the long-term.
Authors: Burns M, Connell Dr A, Makhaye S, Monteiro Dr P, Morant P, Taljaard S, CSIR, Division of Water Environment & Forestry Technology
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| Marine resources |
The South African coastline stretches for about 3000 km between Namibia in the west and Mozambique in the east.
The South African coastline is rugged, its rocky shores exposed to high wave energy. It has few sheltered embayments (coastal inlets sheltered from the high wave energy), two of these being Saldanha Bay and Durban Bay. There are also strong winds along the coast for most of the year.
There are 343 estuaries along the coast, two thirds of which are found on the east coast between Cape Padrone in the Eastern Cape Province and Mtunzini in KwaZulu-Natal. The eastern region of South Africa receives most of the rainfall, much of which falls in summer.
South Africa's east coast is characterized by relatively warm waters (20-25°C), the west by colder Atlantic waters (9-14°C) and the south by intermediate temperatures (16-21°C). The nutrient-rich Benguela Upwelling System off the south-west coast supports large numbers of marine animals. The Agulhas Current off the east coast has a smaller quantity of fish, but a greater diversity of species. These resources offer massive opportunities for tourism, recreation, food, export and associated economic development. Thus their sustainable use and management is critical to the country's future development.
For more background information about marine and coastal resources, read this section.
The single greatest driving force for environmental change in the coastal zone is population growth and associated development. South Africa's economy is evolving from one based on natural resource extraction and sale to one of manufacturing and services, and is increasingly dependent on port facilities for the export of processed goods. Much of the country's coastal development is centred around the seven large commercial ports situated at Saldanha Bay, Cape Town, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, East London, Durban and Richards Bay. These facilities have triggered extensive industrial and urban development and are the centres of government initiatives such as the Spatial Development Initiatives (SDI's).
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| Fishing |
Fishing is a primary economic activity in South Africa. However, some fish stocks have been over-harvested, and several species face local extinction. Destruction of these resources through unsustainable exploitation has and will have severe negative consequences for the economy and the communities dependent on them. The division of responsibility between national, provincial and local authorities has resulted in inconsistent and often contradictory approaches to coastal zone management.
For more information about the drivers of marine and coastal change, read this section.
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| Coastal development |
Population growth puts pressure on the coastal zone in the form of a growing demand for land for housing and infrastructure, dependence on living resources for food, and requirements for fresh water. Such pressures are mostly associated with urban centres along the coast, although high rates of harvesting of fish, mussels, crayfish and abalone also occur in rural areas where the communities depend on use of these resources for their subsistence.
Urban development along the coastal zone creates various environmental pressures on the landscape through habitat transformation. For example, building houses around estuaries cuts the estuaries off from surrounding habitats, and agriculture and urban activities upstream result in greater sediment deposition in the estuaries, interfering with natural processes. Human use of fresh water from rivers and estuaries places further pressure on estuaries. Estuarine organisms are adapted to specific levels of salt in the water, these levels being controlled by the amount of freshwater entering the estuary. Changes in the volume or seasonal pattern of freshwater flow changes the salt content and can cause estuarine organisms to die off. Almost all of South Africa's estuaries have been degraded to a greater or lesser extent.
Coastal ecosystems are also damaged by sewage and stormwater discharge. Some 63 ocean sewage outfalls are located along the South African coast. Deterioration in coastal water quality threatens human and ecosystem health.
Pressures associated with shipping include oil spills and the discharge of ballast water and waste from vessels. These lower marine water quality, making it less suitable for marine life and human use, particularly around commercial ports.
For more information about the pressures on the marine and coastal systems, read this section.
Bays along the South African coastline tend to serve as major nodes of urban development and settlement, e.g. Saldanha Bay, Table Bay, False Bay, Algoa Bay and Durban Bay. These bays and associated marine and coastal systems, particularly estuaries, have all suffered severe degradation of ecological functioning due to habitat loss and fragmentation, extensive pollution and resource exploitation. For most, ecosystem damage is irreversible, and has severely depleted the productivity of the systems and their important role in the overall productivity of the coast.
In general, all South Africa's coastal and marine living resources are suffering declines from over-fishing, in particular, rock lobster, pilchards, anchovies and red-eye. Reasons for the general decrease in fish catches over the years include improvement of fishing methods, increase in fishing effort and establishment of associated fishing industries in coastal towns and cities. The accumulation of toxic pollutants in fish stocks raises another serious concern over the sustainability of current activities.
To find more information about the state of marine and coastal systems in South Africa, read this section.
The main impact on the natural coastal environment is the loss of ecosystem integrity because of:
- the deterioration in marine water quality as a result of pollution,
- resource decline due to over-exploitation, habitat elimination and fragmentation,
- reduced freshwater inflow into estuaries, and
- the combined impact of all of the above.
Human population growth has caused extensive disruption of ecosystem processes, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of coastal and marine harvestable resources.
The emission of pollutants into coastal ecosystems affects human health, particularly via recreational activities such as bathing. Major pollution incidents such as accidental oil spills have intense environmental impacts, such as loss of bird and fish life and soiling of beaches and coastal habitats.
Degradation of estuaries contributes to loss of biodiversity. It also prevents the natural regulation of water quality and natural cycling of nutrients.
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| Estuary |
Impacts resulting from sea level rise will include damage to infrastructure, coastal erosion, loss of natural habitat and flooding of low lying areas. Currently, little or no environmental impact is attributed to sea level rise in South Africa.
To find out more about the impacts on our marine and coastal systems, read this section .
Past policies and laws regarding environmental management in South Africa have been fragmented both in implementation and responsibility. Over the past five years changes in environmental legislation and policy have resulted in new laws with a national focus. These laws and policies promise more effective and efficient management of not only the coastal and marine resources and systems but of all the natural resources in the country.
International trends and public pressure have largely contributed to the development and implementation of various legislation, policies and guidelines which aim to minimize or prevent the deterioration of the South African coastal and marine environment as a result of the driving forces described.
For more information about the response of society to changes in marine and coastal systems, read this section.
The national priorities include meeting basic needs and ensuring fair access to resources for all South Africans. This may increase the demand for resources in the short term, and makes the need for far-sighted and sustainable management all the more imperative if these rich resources are to continue to be productive. A radical improvement in the effectiveness of policy and legislation is expected in the near future, provided the necessary funding, research and capacity building are made available. A reduction in urban encroachment and more sustainable use of the marine and coastal resources should also occur with this commitment to sustainable development.
For more information about outcomes on our marine and coastal systems, read this section.
There are linkages between marine and coastal systems and some of the other issues addressed in this report.
To find out the linkages between marine and coastal systems and some of the other issues addressed in this report, read this section
Reporting on the state of the environment requires access to accurate, up to date information.
To find out more about data issues with regard to marine and coastal systems, read this section
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There is also information about Terrestrial Ecosystems in the following reports:
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Metropolitan reports:
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Affairs and Tourism. All Rights Reserved.
Site maintained by the Directorate Environmental Information and Reporting
Last update: October 1999
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