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This Notice of the Minister of Environmental Affairs, publishes the South Africa’s Marine Spatial Planning Framework for implementation.The Framework provides high-level direction for undertaking Marine Spatial Planning in the context of the South African legislation and policies as well as existing planning regimes. It describes the process for the preparation of Marine Area plans and their implementation, in order to ensure consistency in Marine Spatial Planning across the South African ocean space. The need to introduce and implement Marine Spatial Planning in South Africa is derived from this legislative context and the need for a workable framework to implement laws and international obligations. The framework will facilitate the development, implementation, monitoring and revision of Marine Area plans. Marine Spatial Planning is defined as the governance process of collaboratively assessing and managing the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities to achieve economic, social and ecological objectives. Marine Spatial Planning will be: Area-based; Integrated: Multi-objective; Participatory and coordinated; Ecosystem-based; Strategic and future-oriented; and Continuing and adaptive. The Cabinet has designated the Department of Environmental Affairs as the lead Department for Marine Spatial Planning in South Africa. There will be a National Marine Spatial Planning Working Group and the Marine Spatial Planning Committee and the Ministerial Committee on Marine Spatial Planning. This Marine Spatial Planning Framework and the Marine Area plans will be submitted to the two committees for approval.The preparation of any marine spatial plans involves the participation of representatives of groups and organisations that will be affected by the plan. The National Working Group will oversee implementation of the Marine Area plan, as set out in the Implementation Plan.
