Chapter 4 of the Integrated Coastal Management Act (Act
No. 24 of 2008; ICM Act) makes provision for the drafting of
estuary specific management plans. The National Estuarine
Management Protocol (NEMP), gazetted in May 2013, specifically
addresses integrated cross-sectoral planning and management
of South African estuaries by setting strategic objectives
which, inter alia, encompass sustainable use, maintenance of
ecological integrity, protection and co-operative governance.
The associated standards for estuarine management state