(MPAs)
11 December 2006
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) will in future
require recreational scuba divers to obtain a permit for recreational scuba
diving in four of its MPAs, namely Table Mountain National Park, Bird Island,
Pondoland and Aliwal Shoal as exemptions for recreational scuba diving in these
MPAs expire on 31 December 2006.
Declaration of the above four MPAs as promulgated under Section 43 of the
Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998, Government Gazette numbers 26430,
26431, 26432, and 26433 published on 4 June 2004 state that:
"No person may scuba dive or attempt to scuba dive in the MPA except on the
authority of a scuba diving permit" and that "no person may operate or attempt
to operate a scuba diving business in the MPA except on the authority of a
scuba diving business permit".
Scuba diver businesses have been exempted from requiring a permit to operate
within these MPAs from 1 January 2007 until 31 December 2007 (or until an
operator permit system is in place) and all affected scuba diving business
operators therefore need to obtain an exemption from the DEAT Marine and
Coastal Management (MCM) by applying via e-mail or post to the address below.
Operators must keep their exemption with them (or a certified copy) and a list
of the names of all clients with them on each dive for possible inspection (on
the boat or if shore diving in their car).
Conditions applicable to scuba diving in the MPAs listed above will be
available on the departmental website (http://www.deat.gov.za or http://www.mcm-deat.gov.za) or at MCM offices situated at
seventh floor, Foretrust Building, Martin Hammerschlag Way, Cape Town and at
certain post offices. Following consultation with scuba diving representatives,
the diving conditions within the MPAs have been relaxed to allow night diving
in three of the MPAs under certain conditions (excluding Bird Island where
scuba diving is restricted to between 08h00 and 16h00 daily). Diver propulsion
vehicles and "shark sticks" may be used. For a full list of conditions see the
DEAT website. The conditions will apply from date of purchase to divers
purchasing a recreational permit between 11 and 31 December 2006, apart from
those relating to night diving, which will only come into effect from 1 January
2007.
Recreational scuba divers can obtain the required permit from post offices
for an annual fee of R75 and a R45 monthly fee. The permits are already
available at post offices although it will only be required from 1 January 2007
to divers who currently have an individual exemption issued by MCM which is
valid to 31 December 2006. The R75 permits will be valid for one year. Divers
must keep their permit (or a certified copy of it) with them on each dive for
possible inspection (on a boat or if shore diving in their car).
Contact details for scuba diving business exemptions and enquiries
are:
Ms Risha Persad
Tel: (021) 402 3537
E-mail: rpersad@deat.gov.za
Dr Alan Boyd
Tel: (021) 402 3307
E-mail: ajboyd@deat.gov.za
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Private Bag X2
Roggebaai
8012
Contact:
Blessing Manale
Chief Director: Communications (Acting)
Tel: (012) 310 3862
Cell: 083 381 2939
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
11 December 2006
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (http://www.deat.gov.za)
