The Draft Approach to Spatial Management System Report for South Africa's Marine Planning Areas has been published in the Government Gazette for public comment.

"The main purpose of developing this... report... is to prescribe possible planning approaches for the facilitation of consistent Marine Area Plans," the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries said in a statement.

Planning and management of human uses and interest in the ocean space has often been pursued on a sectorial basis with little or no consideration on the impact of the sectors on each other.

"Marine spatial planning, as one of the initiatives under Operation Phakisa: Oceans Economy, offers an approach to improving the rational planning, management and governance of the South African ocean space and marine resources," the department said.

The report has been developed in terms of the Marine Spatial Planning Act (Act No.16 of 2018). The draft approach mainly focuses on bringing together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors as well as civil society organisations to collaborate on addressing national priority areas.

South Africa intends to develop marine area plans for four marine areas. These marine area plans will strategically allocate the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities to achieve ecological, economic and social objectives.

"They will guide planners and sectors in their decision-making to ensure future marine patterns of use are not only sustainable but are coordinated and maximise compatibility amongst sectors," the department said.

The notice was published in Government Gazette No.42657 on 23 August 2019.

Minister Barbara Creecy has invited any person or sector departments to submit written comments on the draft approach within 30 days of the publication of the notice in the Government Gazette.

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