MPA Training Course

WWF SA developed the two MPA Management Training Courses for SA MPA Managers and staff. The full course is presented for one week a month over a period of 6 months and the Introductory course is presented over 5 days at a MPA Training venue once a year in South Africa. The 5 day introductory course in MPA management is currently registered as a short course at NMMU and students receive a NMMU certificate on successful completion of the course. The 2016 course will be run in August at Isilaka Nature Reserve in Pondoland and will be presented to 20 SA MPA staff.

If you are interested in attending the MPA Management training course you can contact Mr Siyabonga Dlulisa at DEA O&C or Mr Robin Adams at WWF SA and we will forward you the application forms. Once you have submitted your pre-course assignments the successful candidates will be notified to attend the planned training course.

Upcoming MPA staff training:
The next MPA Managers Course will be held in August 2016 at Isilaka Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape and if you want to know more please email:

Mr. Robin Adams
Radams@wwf.org.za or
Mr Siyabonga Dlulisa
Sdlulisa@environment.gov.za

Training Resources

Staff training in the management of an MPA is very important, as the skills differ from monitoring and research, law enforcement and compliance to driver, diver and skipper training. First aid, general maintenance, survival skills and communicating effectively with the public and stakeholders is also important, and so is administration, pocket book maintenance, writing reports, issuing fines, writing emails and letters. These skills are all critical to ensure efficient management when managing an MPA.
Skippers training, boat maintenance and care are crucial due to the remote location of most MPAs. General maintenance and emergency repairs often have to be carried out by staff in the field and they should have a sound knowledge of how to do this, therefore this hands-on training is important to the smooth operations of the MPA.
MPAs with educational facilities can also play an important role in tourism and environmental education by the provision of information and training for schools as well as people involved in the tourism industry. The centre’s themselves often provide an attraction for tourists and school groups seeking local knowledge of the area.

Skills required to manage MPAs

Our MPAs require highly skilled staff to ensure proper management. Managing staff, law enforcement, skippering, navigation, scuba diving, patrols, handling vehicles, motor cycles and quad bikes, completing minor maintenance and mechanical repairs in isolated areas, communicating at all levels and environmental crime investigating are just a few of the specialised skills needed.

In South Africa we have highly skilled people managing our MPAs, who are very passionate, educated and focussed on protecting the marine protected areas they manage with limited funds and resources in a very harsh extremely hostile environment.

 

MPA Management tools

MPAs are areas of ocean that have been identified as important areas that need management and protection for various ecological and site specific reasons. MPA’s have tools that can help them to be better managed and they are;

  1. Restriction of marine equipment
    MPAs can impose restrictions on the use and presence of specific marine equipment like nets, long lines and VMS (Vessel Monitoring Systems) in certain or all areas of an MPA. Regulations can stipulate that if an MPA is a Controlled Zone that allows fishing, all vessels must have a working VMS aboard so that vessels can be monitored. MPAs can also pass a regulation stating that no fishing is allowed or that when a vessel passes through an MPA all fishing or diving gear has to be stowed.
  1. Management Zones
    This is an option that allows activities to be controlled by the spatial allocation of specific areas to certain activities
  1. Quotas
    Quotas are mainly applied towards the fishing sector and include line fish, long line, trawl, rock lobster and abalone. The goal of setting a quota and TAC (Total Allowable Catch) is to leave enough of the resource in the ocean for that resource to regenerate the biomass that was extracted in the form of the quota caught.
  1. Licenses/Permits
    Permission can be granted by the government or the MPA management authority via a permit/licence that is issued to a person or a representative group to participate in a particular activity in an MPA. These can be issued based on resource allocation, historical significance, skill sets and other information deemed important enough to warrant the issuing of a permit or license.
  1. Seasonal Control
    MPA management authorities and/or government can implement restrictions if deemed necessary to protect certain fish species, habitats or eliminate a threat by the introduction of a fishing season declared for a time of the year when you are allowed to catch fish and a time of year when you are not allowed to catch fish by allowing that species to spawn in the closed season and thereby ensuring that species can be fished sustainably.

List of Service Providers

No Training General Info Contact No Email
1. Marine Safety Training:

  • Marine First Aid
  • Marine Fire Fighting
  • Survival Training
Marine Safety + 27 (0) 21 510 6068 Maritimesafety.co.za
2. Skipper Training:

  • Coastal Category B,C & E
  • Inland Category R
  • Endorsements:
    • Surf Launch
    • Dive Skipper
    • Night Rating
 

EC, OFS, KZN, NC, NW and WC

Skipperscourses.co.za
3.
  • Skipper Training
  • Navigational Training
  • Restricted Marine Radio License
Sail and Power SA + 27 (0) 60 992 4425 info@sailandpowersa.co.za
4.
  • Skipper Training
  • Recreational and Commercial tickets
  • Category R, C, B and E
Ocean Divers International +27 (0) 41 581 5121 dive@odipe.co.za
5. Dive Training

  • Class IV Scientific Diver
  • Class V Scientific Diver
UCT research Dive Unit +27 (0) 21 650 3285
Mr Pieter Truter
Pieter.truter@uct.ac.za

 

6. Dive Training

  • Class IV Scientific Diver
  • Class V Scientific Diver
NMMU – Port Elizabeth +27 (0) 41 504 2574
+27 (0) 41 505 2731
Mr Anton Cloete
info@nmmu.ac.za
7. Restricted Marine Radio License (VHF Radio) Oceans Marine Academy + 27 (0) 21 790 2442
+27 (0) 84 511 2726
info@zoma.com
8.
  • Skipper Training
    • Class B, C, E and R
  • Maritime First Aid
  • Marine Fire Fighting
Sea Safety Training Group + 27 (0) 22 742 1297

Gaby

admin@sstg.co.za
admin@seasafetytraining.co.za
9. Yamaha and all boating repairs and supplies Heineman Yamaha Swellendam 028 514 2010
10 Dive training and supplies Pro Dive-South Africa
Training & Sales
Port Elizabeth
041 581 1144

Fax: 041 581 1144

11 Marine supplies fishing and boating equipment

 

TKY Power Products
52 Sherwood Avenue
Beacon Bay
East London
043 748 12 12

 

danie@tkypower.co.za
12 Accredited Suzuki Outboard Agents

 

Marine Centre
N6 Highway
Thorn Park
East London
043 730 7517

 

13 Sea safety, Safety at sea, Skippers training Sea-Safety Training Group (PTY) (LTD)
P.O.Box 39
St Helena Bay
7390
Email : info@sstg.co.za

 

14 Supplies fire arm training

Supplies fishing equipment and hardware

 

Target Line CC.
3 Bell Road Vincent 5247
East London
5200
043 726 4496

 

15 Accredited Suzuki Outboard Agents

 

Marine Centre
N6 Highway
Thorn Park
East London
043 730 7517

 

16 Supply of acoustic fish monitoring equipment

 

Lwandle Technologies (Pty)LtdThe Old Warehouse
Black River Park
Fir Road
Observatory
Cape Town
021 705 0819

 

17 Marine radio training

Safety at Sea

Sea Safety training Group

Port Elizabeth

041 403 0678

 

infomb@sstg.co.za
18 Yamaha East London TKY Power products

East London

043 748 1212

 

danie@tkypower.co.za

Please contact the MPA Coordinator Radams@wwf.org.za should you wish to add a service provider that has provided quality service to your MPA.