Four New Marine Protected Areas In South Africa

Four new marine protected areas (MPAs) are to be proclaimed along the Cape coastline, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk has announced. In a statement issued to mark the launch of National Marine Week, he said the four new areas would bring South Africa's total number of MPAs to 27, covering almost one fifth of its coastal waters up to one nautical mile off-shore. MPAs are the marine equivalent of national parks, and serve as safe havens for fish species and other marine life.