South Africa declares Prince Edward Islands as a vast marine protected area

South Africa makes marine conservation history by declaring Prince Edward Islands a marine protected area

April 2013. South Africa's Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Mrs B. Molewa, has declared the Prince Edward Islands as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The new Prince Edward Islands MPA, the first South African offshore MPA, will serve to significantly contribute to global initiatives towards protection of offshore and deep ocean areas.

The marine biodiversity of the Prince Edward Islands is of global importance. The islands are home to a suite of spectacular marine wildlife, including albatrosses, penguins, killer whales and Patagonian toothfish stocks. Unfortunately this wildlife has been threatened by illegal and unsustainable fishing practices in the past, resulting in significant economic and ecological losses to South Africa.

The islands, which consist of Prince Edward and Marion Islands, are located almost 2,000 kilometres south of South Africa in the Southern Ocean.

2000 kilometres south of South Africa
The islands, which consist of Prince Edward and Marion Islands, are located almost 2,000 kilometres south of South Africa in the Southern Ocean, and form an important global biodiversity hotspot, which was subject to rampant poaching during the late 1990s. Patagonian Toothfish otherwise known as Chilean Seabass (in northern markets) was poached around the islands and this was part of a wider phenomenon across the Southern Ocean and Antarctic waters.

At 180,000km2, approximately the combined size of the Free State Province, Lesotho and Swaziland, the MPA is one of the world's largest.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/prince-edward-islands-mpa.html