In 2000, South Africa's line fisheries were declared to be in a state of collapse by the then Minister of the Environment. Since then, the situation has not improved and the range of species being fished is just increasing with many apex predators now also being included in catches.
Many reef fish are now at only two to three percent of their original populations and without opportunities for recovery they are at dire risk. These fish and apex predators need secure places of refuge to recover from exploitation and this is why expanding our network of marine protected areas is so critical! Make a difference by doing your bit to support ocean conservation!
