Marine Protected Areas With a Focus on the De Hoop Marine Protected Area
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are crucial for safeguarding species and maintaining the balance of ecosystems. They also contribute to the sustainability of fisheries, which in turn supports livelihoods and boosts the economy. In South Africa, at least 3.6 million people depend on coastal food resources for subsistence. MPAs are managed through the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (Act No. 57 of 2003) and associated regulations. CapeNature oversees six of the 13 MPAs along the Western Cape coast, including the De Hoop MPA.
This no-take marine reserve spans 288 km2 and encompasses various habitats that host a diverse range of species. It has proven effective in protecting endangered shark species, with underwater video footage revealing that 11 different shark species utilise the MPA. Moreover, the abundance of sharks inside the MPA is significantly higher than outside, with six of the 11 species classified as threatened, such as the Critically Endangered Soupfin Shark and the Vulnerable Ragged Tooth Shark.
The De Hoop MPA may also play a vital role in conserving the Endangered African Penguin. Thanks to the concerted efforts of BirdLife South Africa, SANCCOB, and CapeNature, penguins have returned to the De Hoop Nature Reserve after an absence of over a decade. One of the biggest threats to African Penguins is the mismatch between their breeding colonies and the distribution of their main prey, anchovies, and sardines. Fish stocks have shifted south and east, putting them beyond reach of the main breeding colonies in the Western Cape.
Since 2021, 185 hand-reared chicks have been released at a site on De Hoop Nature Reserve that has been fenced off from land-based predators. In 2022, the first penguin pair hatched and successfully raised two chicks. The hope is that, with human-assisted access to fish on the Agulhas Bank, the colony will continue to grow over time.
Ragged-tooth-shark: The Ragged Tooth Shark (Carcharias taurus, Vulnerable) enjoys the protection of the De Hoop MPA.
African-penguin-feeding: Establishing a breeding colony at De Hoop will provide easier access to the Agulhas Bank for African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus, Endangered).
African-penguin-DHNR-decoy: These decoys should help to attract African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus, Endangered) to the De Hoop breeding site.
Related News
Western Cape marks World Wildlife Day as CapeNature highlights climate resilience and sustainable living
The Western Cape is marking World Wildlife Day on 3 March, a day proclaimed by the United Nations, by reaffirming its commitment to biodiversity protection, climate resilience and sustainable development, with CapeNature playing a central role in conserving the province’s natural heritage.
CapeNature Cubs Club Connect 2026 makes a splash with water-themed family fun
Scores of children and their families flocked to Jonkershoek Nature Reserve over the weekend to take part in a day of learning, laughter and connection in nature as part of CapeNature’s Cubs Club programme. Around 70 children and their families took part in the Cubs Club Connect 2026 event to celebrate this year’s theme, Water.
JOINT STATEMENT: Final Action Plan for baboons includes a sanctuary, fencing, and more
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, welcomes the judgment from the Western Cape High Court which allows the three authorities to continue with the implementation of the Action Plan for the management of the Chacma baboon population.
Reforest Fest returns to tackle climate action in the Western Cape
As the Western Cape recovers from one of its worst fire seasons on record, with over 132,000 hectares burned across the region in January alone, Greenpopʼs Reforest Fest returns this Easter weekend with a sense of renewed urgency. The four-day restoration festival at Bodhi Khaya Nature Retreat aims to plant 5,000 indigenous trees in degraded forest patches as part of Greenpopʼs ongoing work in the region.
CapeNature rangers praised for heroic rescue of stranded UK tourist
A visit to the iconic Robberg Nature Reserve and Marine Protected Area — one of the Garden Route’s most celebrated gems — turned into a life-threatening ordeal for a London tourist, and a powerful reminder of humanity of CapeNature’s field rangers. For Ms Rosalind Innes, Robberg had been a long-awaited addition to her South African travel itinerary.
CapeNature bust - R500,000 fine for illegal reptile trafficking in the Western Cape
On Thursday, 12 February 2026, a Spanish citizen Mr David Navarro Roman (41) was convicted in the Vredendal Regional Court for the illegal possession and importation of 22 Armadillo Girdled lizards (Ouroborus cataphractus) and one speckled dwarf tortoise (Chersobius signatus) from Northern Cape to the Western Cape.