The ''Marine Living Resources Act, 18 of 1998'' is a South African

statutory law A statute is a law or formal written enactment of a legislature. Statutes typically declare, command or prohibit something. Statutes are distinguished from court law and unwritten law (also known as common law) in that they are the expressed wi ...

to provide for the conservation of the

marine ecosystem Marine ecosystems are the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems and exist in Saline water, waters that have a high salt content. These systems contrast with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine waters cover more than 7 ...

and sustainable utilisation of marine living resources within the

territorial waters Territorial waters are informally an area of water where a sovereign state has jurisdiction, including internal waters, the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone, and potentially the extended continental shelf ( ...

and

exclusive economic zone An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...

of the Republic of South Africa.

Purpose

The purpose as stated in the preamble is:

To provide for the conservation of the marine ecosystem, the long-term sustainable utilisation of marine living resources and the orderly access to exploitation, utilisation and protection of certain marine living resources; and for these purposes to provide for the exercise of control over marine living resources in a fair and equitable manner to the benefit of all the citizens of South Africa; and to provide for matters connected therewith.

Promulgation

The act was published in Gazette No. 18930, as Notice No 747, with Commencement date 1 September 1998, and is amended by: * Marine Living Resources Amendment Act 68 of 2000, published in Gazette No. 21844, Notice No. 1315. * National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act 57 of 2003, published as Government Notice 445 in Government Gazette 37710 of 2 June 2014 * Marine Living Resources Amendment Act 5 of 2014, published as Government Notice 383 in Government Gazette 37659 of 19 May 2014

References

{{SA law Marine protected areas of South Africa South African legislation Marine conservation Marine biodiversity of South Africa