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Cape Town - It is vital to balance economic opportunities and environmental integrity in South Africa’s ocean space, the department of environmental affairs warned on Sunday.
It said SA's oceans have rich resources, biodiversity and a relatively pristine environment and, therefore, a balanced approach is very important.
The department has gazetted the White Paper on the National Environmental Management of the Ocean (Nemo) for implementation.
The policy encourages the unlocking of economic potential presented by living and non-living resources of SA’s ocean space.
In December 2013 Cabinet approved that the minister of environmental affairs, supported by key ministries and the National Planning Commission develop an integrated approach to ocean governance.
This would include management plans for ocean areas, environmental variables, conflict scenarios and trade-offs, as was recommended in the White Paper.
The White Paper seeks a modern and integrated approach to ocean environmental management, the department said in a statement issued on Sunday.
"The policy’s objectives encourage and support the sustainable development of South Africa’s ocean environment and focuses on methods which contribute to habitat and biodiversity conservation, marine ecosystem management, as well as maintaining earth system integrity," according to the statement.
The department, relevant organs of state and institutions are tasked with achieving a number of strategic objectives.
These include coordinating and supporting the implementation of the relevant statutory and institutional frameworks, establishing mechanisms for inter-sectorial data collection and sharing and creating and maintaining a shared national knowledge base on the human use, status and functioning of the ocean.
Other objectives include establishing integrated ocean sustainable development and conservation ocean plans by the undertaking of strategic environmental impact assessments and the use of spatial planning tools.
The national human and technical capacity must also be enhanced to better understand and utilise ocean resources and opportunities.
Laslty, regional and international cooperation and governance mechanisms will be pursued.
"The development and implementation of the White Paper puts forth an approach whereby South Africa can, in the short term, increasingly accommodate coordinated sectorial management within the existing statutory framework," said the department.
"It also envisages the simultaneous preparation of ocean environment legislation aimed at improving the regulation and coordination of the management and development of South Africa's ocean."
It said SA's oceans have rich resources, biodiversity and a relatively pristine environment and, therefore, a balanced approach is very important.
The department has gazetted the White Paper on the National Environmental Management of the Ocean (Nemo) for implementation.
The policy encourages the unlocking of economic potential presented by living and non-living resources of SA’s ocean space.
In December 2013 Cabinet approved that the minister of environmental affairs, supported by key ministries and the National Planning Commission develop an integrated approach to ocean governance.
This would include management plans for ocean areas, environmental variables, conflict scenarios and trade-offs, as was recommended in the White Paper.
The White Paper seeks a modern and integrated approach to ocean environmental management, the department said in a statement issued on Sunday.
"The policy’s objectives encourage and support the sustainable development of South Africa’s ocean environment and focuses on methods which contribute to habitat and biodiversity conservation, marine ecosystem management, as well as maintaining earth system integrity," according to the statement.
The department, relevant organs of state and institutions are tasked with achieving a number of strategic objectives.
These include coordinating and supporting the implementation of the relevant statutory and institutional frameworks, establishing mechanisms for inter-sectorial data collection and sharing and creating and maintaining a shared national knowledge base on the human use, status and functioning of the ocean.
Other objectives include establishing integrated ocean sustainable development and conservation ocean plans by the undertaking of strategic environmental impact assessments and the use of spatial planning tools.
The national human and technical capacity must also be enhanced to better understand and utilise ocean resources and opportunities.
Laslty, regional and international cooperation and governance mechanisms will be pursued.
"The development and implementation of the White Paper puts forth an approach whereby South Africa can, in the short term, increasingly accommodate coordinated sectorial management within the existing statutory framework," said the department.
"It also envisages the simultaneous preparation of ocean environment legislation aimed at improving the regulation and coordination of the management and development of South Africa's ocean."
