A statutory analysis of ocean governance in South Africa with a focus on the Marine Spatial Planning Act 16 of 2018.

Abstract

One of South Africa’s greatest assets has been its ocean and the business it brings with. The economic opportunities presented by the ocean are noted by legislatures by all coastal States alongside the need to coordinate planning in said ocean space and optimise sustainable economic growth. This is the focus of the Marine Spatial Planning Act, as it recognises that the ocean is being used more intensively than it has been in the past and has multiple usages that may conflict with one another. This dissertation will discuss key concepts underpinning the blue economy. Thereafter, the dissertation will look at the Marine Spatial Planning Act 16 of 2018, which seeks to outline the use of the ocean space among all the ocean users in a sustainable manner. This dissertation will focus on a legal analysis of ocean governance policy and does not consider other work areas of Operation Phakisa, or the economic, social or political impact of the programme.