South Africa’s Policy on

National Environmental Management of the OceansGreen Paper Oceans Paper

19 slides (20-25 minutes)

23/24 July 2013Department of Environmental Affairs

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Introduction

• Ocean Governance Failures / Challenges have been observed throughout the world

• Several countries are finalizing Ocean management policies

• Oceans policies seek to improve sectoral management of the ocean sector & planning and managing across sectors for accumulated and aggregated impacts

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• 2011-12 Towards developing the policy

• Observations– Sectoral management of ocean users

» Function to advance individual sectors e.g. shipping, mining, fishing » No sector manages accumulated & aggregated impacts across sector

Policy Development2011 - 2013

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Review of sectoral stakeholders e.g. mining, fishing

Ocean Policies of 12 countries compared

Review of National ocean sectoral policy e.g. shipping

Published – 30 October 2012Draft White Paper July 2013

Development of the Benguela Current Convention Text

Review of international agreements that SA is party to.

PolicyDrafted & submitted to cluster & cabinet

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF DIAGRAMS, MAPS AND TABLES II

ACRONYMS III

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IV

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. THE SOUTH AFRICAN OCEAN ENVIRONMENT 1

3. THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS’ OCEAN MANDATE 8

4. THE EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL OCEAN GOVERNANCE 12

a. The Emerging Global Ocean Management Agenda 12

b. International Ocean Governance Frameworks and Responsibilities 15

5. OCEAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND SUSTAINABLE USE 17

a. The Ocean and Earth System 17

b. Ocean Ecosystems 21

c. Ocean Ecosystem Services 24

d. Existing Ocean Resource Usage 24

e. Emerging Ocean Resource Usage 30

6. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF OCEAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 33

7. OVERVIEW OF SELECTED INTERNATIONAL OCEAN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES 45

8. SOUTH AFRICA’S OCEAN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT POLICY 48

a. Organisational Context, Vision and Strategic Objectives 48

b. South Africa’s Ocean Environmental Management Policy Objectives and Statements 49

9. CONCLUSION 57

Annexure A: Table of International Instruments 58

Annexure B: Table of Domestic Legislation 64

END NOTES 65

Ocean Policy

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SA Ocean Jurisdiction ch2

SA Ocean’s –Global Perspective ch2

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X_SA base

DEA OCEAN MANDATE ch3

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Conservation Protection

Rehabilitation Sustainable Development

CONSTITUTION SECTION 244

NEMA and SEMAS

International Agreements

EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL OCEAN GOVERNANCE CH4

• Content / Agenda Evolution– intergenerational equity – sustainable use – equitable use – integration principle

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Stockholm Convention 1972 >>> UNCLOS 1982 >>>Rio (Ch. 17) / CBD 1992 >>> WSSD – Jo-burg 2002>>>Rio + 20

International Regulatory Mechanisms 70’s – 80’s e.g. Ship Dumping; CITES;Oil Spills

OCEAN ECOSYSTEM USES AND SUSTAINABLE USE CH5

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Ecosystem Approach

Species

Biodiversity & Habitat

Ecosystem

Earth System

• Provision– sea trade; fish; oil; minerals; pharmaceuticals;

sewage & waste disposal etc

• Regulation– environmental – climate – weather

e.g. re-cycling of carbon & nitrogen;

& heat distribution

• Supporting– creating niche habitat for biodiversity

e.g. mangroves

• Cultural

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT OF OCEAN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES CH6

• Identifies that there is a need to build on general environmental governance to ocean governance

• Description ocean sectoral environmental governance

• Demonstrates that the sectoral governance does not seek to manage aggregated and accumulated impact or cross sectoral planning

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SELECTED INTERNATIONAL OCEAN MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES CH7

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• Improve the competitiveness and effectiveness of existing activities taking place within their marine jurisdiction while at the same time researching and developing innovative and responsible future uses

• Maintain and improve marine ecosystems resilience, conserve biodiversity and restore degraded habitat

• Participate and strengthen their involvement in global and regional developments - support efforts to achieve environmental objectives

• Spatial Planning is often seen as key to managing large ocean spaces

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Ocean Policy Objectives

Indicator

Threshold

Intervention

Cooperation

1.Ocean Environmental Information• Policy Statement 1.1: Ensure improved adherence with the ocean environmental

reporting requirements contained in domestic legislation • Policy Statement 1.2: Enhance existing research and monitoring of ocean

ecosystems

13SECRET

2.Ocean Environmental Knowledge• Policy Statement 2.1: Produce information tools to facilitate understanding of the

natural functioning of ecosystems and human impact on the ocean environment• Policy Statement 2.2: Establish, in consultation with role-players, ocean ecosystem

thresholds for human health and biodiversity conservation• Policy Statement 2.3: Provide information to promote sustainable development

whilst maintaining the resilience of the ocean

3. Ocean Environmental Management• Policy Statement 3.1: Provide timeous information on trends and extremes in

ecosystem and earth system functioning • Policy Statement 3.2: Ensure the conservation, protection and rehabilitation of

ocean habitat and species• Policy Statement 3.3: establish ecosystem and biodiversity management plans in

consultation with role-players

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4. Ocean Environmental IntegrityPolicy Statement 4.1: Cooperating at a national, regional and international level to advance sustainable ecosystem-based management of the EEZ, High Seas and Antarctica

An Example of the Policy in Action

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• Information

• Knowledge

• Management

• Environmental Integrity

• Indicator

• Threshold

• Management Intervention

• Cooperation

• Population numbers of ocean top predators e.g. seabirds – albatrosses

• Population numbers must not drop less than n breeding pairs – species management plan

• Develop & Inform norms & standards that seabirds mortalities in fishing lines must be less than X per 1000 hooks

• Seek partnership with DAFF to regulate and monitor norms and stds

• Seek alignment of norms and stds with adjacent coastal states through Benguela Current Commission

OBJECTIVE STATEMENT/ACTION OUTCOME

CONCLUSION ch9

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0-5 years

5-10 years

Additions & Considerations after Comments

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Guiding Principles• The sustainable use and management of ocean resources and ecosystem

services in order to benefit present and future generations

• The protection of biodiversity in the ocean environment and the conservation of marine ecosystems

• The application of the precautionary approach to sustainable use and conservation

• The prevention, avoidance and mitigation of pollution and adherence to the polluter pays principle

• The strengthening of human capacity to deal with a changing environment, including the impacts of climate change such as increases in sea-surface temperature, sea-level rise and ocean acidification

• The identification of opportunities which contribute to the development needs of the poor and vulnerable within the population thus ensuring human dignity

• The promotion of collaboration and cooperative governance

• The promotion of an ecosystem and earth system approach to ocean management

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Strategic Objectives• Coordinating and supporting the implementation of the relevant existing

statutory and institutional frameworks

• Establishing mechanisms for intersectoral data collection and sharing

• Creating and maintaining a shared national knowledge base on the human activities, status and functioning of the ocean

• Establishing integrated ocean management plans by the undertaking of strategic environmental impact assessments and the use of spatial planning tools

• Enhancing national human and technical capacity to better understand and utilise ocean resources and opportunities

• Pursuing regional and international cooperation and governance mechanisms

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