If you have been trying to renew your scuba diving permit to dive in the Marine Protected Areas you would have noticed that it is no longer available on either the blue forms at the post office (if you can still find a post office) nor on the DFFE website (www.fishing.dffe.gov)
That is because the requirement for a permit to scuba dive in the Marine Protected Areas has been removed from the act. Though this is good news for individual divers they have been quite frustrated as this was not common knowledge.
We have had several calls from divers asking how they should go about buying their annual or temporary dive permits. The short answer is, you no longer need a scuba diving permit!
On 3 May 2024 Barabara Creasy, minister of forestry, fisheries and environment published Government gazette no: 50617 amending certain regulations governing various marine protected areas in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No. 57 of 2003)
The following regulation that was deleted from the Act, is relevant to individuals scuba diving in the marine protected areas.
Deletion of regulation 8 in Government Notice R. 695 in Government Gazette 26431 of 4 June 2004
2. Regulation 8 of the Notice declaring the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area is hereby deleted.
See the entire Gazette here: Marine protected areas: Amendment No: 50617 (www.gov.za)
Looking back at the regulation 8 in Government Notice R. 695 in Government Gazette 26431 of 4 June 2004 we can see that the regulation is only applicable to recreational divers who dive in the Marine Protected Areas.
SCUBA diving permit
8.1 No person may SCUBA dive or attempt to SCUBA dive in the Marine Protected Area except on the authority of a SCUBA diving permit.8.2 The Minister shall determine the maximum number of SCUBA diving permits that may be issued for use in the Marine Protected Area.8.3 Applications for a SCUBA diving permit shall be made to the Manager on an- application form and subject to an application fee determined by the Minister in terms of the Act.8.4 SCUBA diving permits shall be valid for maximum period of twelve months and shall be capable of being renewed at a fee determined by the Minister in terms of the Act.8.5 SCUBA diving permits may be issued subject to conditions.
See the entire Gazette here: Government Notice No. 695 (www.gov.za)
Don't feel bad because you did not know that the regulations have changed, we have been stopped by multiple law enforcement officers from various departments asking for scuba diving permits, which means not even the enforcers knew that there has been a change in the ACT.
This amendment does not exclude scuba diving businesses that operate in the MPA's and all operators should still have their Business permits on hand when requested.
