The Marine Living Resources Fund (MLRF) finances the operations of the Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) Programme, which served as the branch of the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. The Marine and Coastal Management Programme is responsible for managing the development and sustainable use of South Africa's marine and coastal resources, as well as for protecting the integrity and quality of its marine and coastal ecosystems. This mandate is a complex and often controversial one, that is, the achievement of a healthy balance between sustainable utilization of marine and coastal resources, and the protection and conservation of these same resources, is an ongoing challenge that requires a well- planned strategy and regular time-framed monitoring and evaluation of implementation processes. However, growing and enhancing the sustainability of the marine fisheries sector, as indicated in the 2009/10 annual report of the department is indeed a strategic objective, particularly in the quest for poverty eradication among the impoverished communities in the proximity of these marine and coastal resources.