Marcus Island Marine Protected Area

Marine protected areas aim to conserve marine life and promote the conservation and effective management of biodiverse marine areas. They are an example of successful collaboration between civil society, communities and government to take care of our natural resources, particularly our marine resources. It stretches over an area of 0.25km squared. As a marine protected area within the West Coast National Park, fishing is prohibited from shore. Malgas Island is critically important as a breeding island to Cape Gannets and other seabirds, with Malgas Island being one of only three islands in South Africa where Cape Gannet breed. Approximately 30 percent of the world's population of African Black Oystercatchers breed on these islands. The endangered Bank Cormorant - whose numbers have plummeted from 8 700 breeding pairs in 1980 to a current number of 4 900 pairs - also breed on the islands.