Facts

 

General information and resources relating to the marine and coastal environment

This beautifully illustrated series was compiled by a group of talented specialists in the marine and coastal field. The series provides a wealth of scientifically established facts to be used by the South African and international public as well as schools, libraries and coastal communities.

To view a selection of posters from the Coastcare series, click here. Published by the former Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) in 2000.
 
 
Seafood is gaining in popularity worldwide as people are considering it more and more as a healthy food choice. It has also become increasingly fashionable and popular to try formerly “exotic” seafood such as sushi that is now more widely available than ever before. Less widely known are conservation issues surrounding seafood species. A species list has been compiled to help you make choices that are better for the environment, when buying seafood or dining out. This list will inform you about the conservation status of popular fish species and allow you to consider your seafood choices from an ecological perspective. Published by SASSI in 2005.  
  •  More Resources for educators
World Oceans Day material for teachers
Links to a number of educational and outreach resources, many of which are provided by POGO members.
 

This pamphlet summarizes the regulations that apply to recreational fishing in South Africa's marine and estuarine environments. In terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, the Department of Environmental Affairs is responsible for the management of marine living resources and their environment. The Department welcomes you to participate in conserving our rich and diversified heritage and to endeavour that future generations to come will also enjoy the same.  

 
South Africa realises the many challenges facing seabirds, in a rapidly changing environment. In general a reduction in seabird populations has been observed. As part of our commitment to address this challenge, South Africa has commenced implementation of an Ecosystem Approach as such we are increasingly taking into consideration other elements of the ecosystem over and above fish species. Our country further introduced strict permit conditions in efforts to reduce the catch of seabirds by fishers. This National Plan of Action for Reducing the Incidental Catch of Seabirds in Longline Fisheries also known as the NPOA-Seabirds, further attests to our commitment to managing seabirds and fisheries responsibly. Published by DEAT in 2008.
  
FishBase is a global information system which contains practically all fish species known to science.  FishBase is a relational database with information to cater to different professionals such as research scientists, fisheries managers, zoologists and many more.
 
The Acts of Parliament are at best difficult to read and comprehend, and the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act No. 24 of 2008)  is no exception. It is with this in
mind that this Guide intends to familiarise the reader with the provisions of the ICM Act - a step by step guide as it were - while providing direct reference to the “official” gazetted document.
 
The objective of this Guide is therefore to make the ICM Act accessible and applicable to coastal practitioners and interested parties concerned with specific details and applications of the Act, to such an extent that it becomes standard reference material for information on coastal management in South Africa. This Guide is a “translation” of the ICM Act into everyday language while, at the same time, presenting the contents in such a way as to assist the reader to find and understand the appropriate information.
 
Citation: Celliers, L., Breetzke, T., Moore, L. and Malan, D. 2009. A User-friendly Guide to South Africa’s Integrated Coastal Management Act. The Department of Environmental Affairs and SSI Engineers and Environmental Consultants. Cape Town, South Africa. 100pp.
 
The City of Cape Town has produced a user-friendly and attractive book, City of Cape Town Beaches - a diversity of coastal treasures, which features all of the beaches found within its boundaries.
 
The handy A5-sized 130-page book, provides a description, history and location of every beach, activities associated with each, and an abundance of beautiful photographs.
 
This website provides free real-time information to the public, about ship movements and ports. The project is currently hosted by the Department of Product and Systems Design Enginnering, University of the Aegean, Greece.
 
The system is based on AIS (Automatic Identification System). As from December 2004, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) requires all vessels over 299GT to carry an AIS transponder on board, which transmits their position, speed and course, among some other static information, such as vessel’s name, dimensions and voyage details.