Ocean scientist Professor Judy Mann who established International Marine Protection Area (MPA) Day, says it was a light bulb moment while having a shower four years ago that birthed the initiative.
Judy who with husband, Professor Bruce Mann, addressed invited guests on MPA Day on Friday August 1 at a Kleinemonde restaurant, said that moment in the shower changed everything because that’s where the idea began to start the now internationally recognised movement.
“I always come up with ideas in the shower,” she said to everyone’s laughter. “And … I was thinking at the time we have so many environmental days … but no day set aside for MPAs,” said Judy who is strategic projects director at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.
The couple’s whose work together at Ushaka Marine World in KZN, is recognised nationally and abroad, said research at the time showed, according to a sample survey conducted at Ushaka, that 80% of respondents did not know what MPAs are.
“Most of the people researched thought that MPAs meant no fishing, no this, no that,” said Judy. “So MPAs were considered negative and we thought what a wonderful opportunity to create a special day of places in the ocean where we could highlight what is good about MPAs. And to show them how these help ecosystems in the oceans.
“I phoned a few friends (ocean guardians) in Cape Town and down the coast and I said: ‘let’s start MPA day …’ they said: ‘what’s that?’ and I said: ‘I don’t know. .. it’s an idea let’s give it a go’.”
Judy said they began interacting via Zoom calls in the middle of lockdown in 2021.
“In our first year (of the project) in 2021, there were six organisations participating and we were crossing live to MPAs.” And the rest is history.
“This year we have 100 activities in 31 countries around the world on MPA day … a little tiny day that started in South Africa.”
MPA day in its fifth year, and now officially celebrated on August 1 in 12 countries, is fast gaining traction and there are plans to spread the net wider.
This year’s activities sought to connect people to the ocean and bring conservation awareness to even more people around the world.
“The thing that makes this day so special is that it is driven by passion … there is not a cent being made through MPA Day. No one is being paid to do this; no one is earning a salary though it. Everyone is doing it out of passion and love and that’s what makes it special. MPA is for everybody, no one owns it. Think global act local,” said Judy to applause.
A Marine Protected Area is an area of coastline or ocean protected for the benefit of people and nature. These spaces are safe havens for marine creatures and their homes, like an underwater nature reserve.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature says essentially, MPAs assure the future health of our ocean systems and economies.
In South Africa, MPAs are chosen to protect unique habitats, preserve intact bio-regions that have not been severely affected by human activity, and provide crucial safe spaces for commercially important fish species to recover.
“South Africa has 42 Marine Protected Areas - covering 5% of national coastal waters. “This is an incredible achievement, as this number was just 0.43% before 2016,” says Judy.
These MPAs are scattered along the coast of South Africa: From the Orange Shelf Edge (pristine and untrawled by commercial fishers) on Namibia’s border all the way to iSimangaliso (a special feeding site for sea turtles) on the border of Mozambique. In between, we have iconic sites - Robben Island, Tsitsikamma, Pondoland, and many more.
MPAs are managed by the department of environment forestry & fisheries.
Eastern Cape’s designated MPA areas are in North Pondoland, Dwesa-Cebe, Amatola, Addo, Sardinia Bay and Tsitsikamma Nature Reserve.
Interested parties can view the exhibit that gives more backgrounds about MPAs at The Lily Rose Restaurant in Kleinemonde until next month.
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, August 7, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays.
