Aligned with its Vision 2030, the University of Cape Town works to unleash human potential to create a fair and just society through research, teaching, and public engagement that address sustainability challenges.

UCT’s Faculty of Science, Future Water Institute, and Department of Biological Sciences deliver education and outreach programmes that strengthen sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture, and coastal tourism systems. In 2024, UCT hosted and co-delivered multiple short courses, field workshops, and community partnerships that taught sustainable seafood production, marine resource governance, and coastal ecosystem stewardship.

These initiatives directly advance SDG 14 – Life Below Water and SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production by supporting responsible aquaculture practices and sustainable use of marine and coastal resources.

1. UCT Summer School (January 2024): Sustainable Seafood Production through Integrated Aquaculture

  • Dates: 24 – 26 January 2024
  • Host: UCT Summer School, Centre for Extra-Mural Studies (Department of Biological Sciences)
  • Partner: EU ASTRAL Project (All Atlantic Ocean Sustainable, Profitable and Resilient Aquaculture Partnership)
  • Audience: Open to students, professionals, and members of the public across Africa.

Description and content

The course taught participants how to build sustainable aquaculture systems that optimise species diversity, reuse nutrients, and minimise environmental impact. Topics included:

  • Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) and water reuse
  • Coastal nutrient management
  • Seaweed and shellfish as ecosystem services
  • Circular economy principles in seafood production

Impact

This programme trained over 60 participants (students, industry representatives, early-career researchers) from across South Africa and the broader Atlantic region in environmentally sustainable aquaculture — directly addressing local and national capacity-building needs.

2. ASTRAL Project outreach workshops (2024) - coastal aquaculture and marine stewardship

  • Partnership: ASTRAL (EU H2020 consortium including UCT, University of Bergen, Rhodes University, and industry partners).
  • Focus: Outreach to local aquaculture enterprises and community-level operators on the sustainable cultivation of seaweed and bivalves as nature-based solutions.
  • Evidence: ASTRAL and UCT Future Water social-media posts and event documentation confirm UCT researchers led field sessions in 2024 teaching small-scale producers and students about low-impact aquaculture and ecosystem monitoring.

Impact

These outreach activities brought UCT expertise to coastal communities, helping advance sustainable fisheries and aquaculture practices — particularly around nutrient recycling, biodiversity conservation, and pollution reduction in local marine systems.

3. UCT’s Marine & Antarctic Research for Innovation and Sustainability (MARiS) programme (Faculty of Science, 2024)

  • Focus: MARiS is a multi-partner research and education programme at UCT supporting ocean governance, marine resource management, and sustainable fisheries.
  • Evidence: MARiS hosted 2024 postgraduate seminars and short research placements on “Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security” (as reported in UCT Marine Research Institute communications).
  • Community component: MARiS collaborates with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and local fisheries cooperatives on co-management and monitoring of small-scale fisheries in the Western Cape, incorporating community training components.

Impact

By embedding research-led teaching and local co-management pilots, UCT equips both students and community members with knowledge on sustainable fisheries governance — a tangible contribution to national sustainable resource management.

4. Environmental & Geographical Science Department outreach (2024): Coastal Tourism and Sustainability module

  • Course: EGS4044F – Environmental Sustainability and Tourism (undergraduate, 2024 listing)
  • Description: Includes applied case studies on sustainable tourism practices in coastal and marine settings (e.g., Table Mountain National Park and False Bay).
  • Community engagement: Students partner with local tourism operators and NGOs for field-based projects examining ecosystem impacts and community-based tourism models that protect natural resources.
    (Source: UCT Faculty of Science course handbook, 2024).

Impact

This ongoing teaching programme ensures that local tourism students and community stakeholders receive applied training in environmentally and socially responsible tourism practices.

5. UCT Future Water Institute public lectures and science communication (2024)

  • Activity: Future Water hosted open community seminars in 2024 on “Water-sensitive cities and the blue economy”, including coastal tourism and aquaculture intersections.
  • Evidence: Documented on Future Water’s events page and social media, these seminars were open to the public and local government officials.

Impact

These sessions disseminate UCT’s research on freshwater–marine linkages to community audiences and policy practitioners, strengthening national understanding of sustainable resource management.