Agulhas Bank Complex Marine Protected Area - Agulhas Bank Restricted Zone

To contribute to a national, regional and global representative system of marine protected areas by conserving and protecting offshore benthic and pelagic shelf ecosystems of the Agulhas Bank, including rocky, gravel, sandy and pelagic habitats; the Alphard Banks, parts of the 45 Mile Bank and parts of the 72 Mile Bank, and including threatened ecosystem types; to conserve and protect ecological processes and ecologically sensitive biodiversity associated with these ecosystems thereby facilitating seabed management and supporting eco-certification and its associated economic benefits; to support the recovery of linefish by protecting important nursery, spawning, foraging, aggregation and refuge areas for overexploited linefish including the red steenbras, geelbek, silver kob and seventy four; to facilitate species management and sustainable use of linefish and south coast rock lobster by supporting fisheries recovery and enhanced species abundance in fished areas; to support sustainable nature-based tourism opportunities in the area through the protection of marine wildlife; and to protect and provide an appropriate environment for research and monitoring particularly research on ecosystem impacts and recovery, habitat requirements of south coast rock lobster and recovery of linefish, and also to promote and contribute to environmental education.

Species of Concern: multiple

Restrictions

1. No person may fish, or attempt to fish.
2. No fishing gear including lines, hooks, lures, nets, trawl doors, warps, spearguns, buoys, traps or any other gear or equipment used for fishing, may be deployed overboard from any vessel.
3. Fishing gear onboard a vessel or in possession of any person that enters or is present in this area must be stowed in accordance with the regulations.
4. Any motorised vessel that enters or traverses this area may not stop for more than 3 minutes or move at less than 5 knots at any time unless authorised in terms of the regulations. This does not apply to a SCUBA diving vessel.
5. A motorised vessel, prior to entering or while traversing this area with fishing gear on board must have a Global Positioning System (GPS) Mapping Device with an active trail operational on the vessel, and such GPS data may not be deleted from this device for 7 calendar days after passing through a Restricted Zone.
6. No person may moor or anchor any vessel in the Restricted Zone or Controlled-Pelagic Linefish Zone of the Marine Protected Area except:
a) under conditions of force majeure;
b) for the use of a vessel by an employee of the Department or any other organ of state acting in the course and scope of their employment or mandate; or
c) for any vessel which has a permit in terms of the regulations for any activity which requires anchoring or mooring.

Allowed

The Minister may on application and on such conditions as he or she may deem appropriate, authorise the anchoring or mooring of a vessel in the following circumstances:
a) in an emergency; or
b) where the Minister may deem it to be necessary in order to ensure the proper management of the Marine Protected Area.