Ten of the Mother City’s beaches have been awarded the coveted Blue Flag status by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA).
The Twelve Apostles overlook Camps Bay Beach.
Cape Town’s beaches are world-famous, with Clifton and Camps Bay generally hogging the limelight. It’s the less commercial beaches that line the City’s coast which make for an epic day by the sea.
Following a national audit of beaches submitted for assessment by each local municipality, WESSA used 33 criteria to determine if each beach meets the level of service excellence required for Blue Flag recognition. Each beach is measured in four categories: Environmental Education and Awareness, Water Quality, Environmental Management, and Safety Services. The individual criteria allow for an in-depth analysis of a variety of areas of competence, which include:
- Universal access (for the disabled, elderly and mothers with young children)
- Control of domestic animals (such as dogs on beaches)
- Availability of interpretive signage
- Effective waste management
‘The City is pleased to once again receive this recognition. Being able to retain the status of all 10 Blue Flag beaches can be attributed to the work of our environmental staff, who have ensured the quality and cleanliness of these beaches have been consistently maintained. These spaces are especially important as we head into the summer months, enabling residents to enjoy nature and the ocean, while being able to safely social distance in line with COVID-19 regulations,’ said Executive Mayor Dan Plato.
The quality international standards which have been achieved at the ten beaches are critical drivers, which encourage the economic growth of the coastal areas. Residents and tourists can access a variety of leisure activities at these beaches.
Primarily, Blue Flag is an educational programme, designed to encourage participating municipalities to meet high environmental and international standards sustainably.
The ten beaches awarded Blue Flag status are:
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Bikini Beach
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Camps Bay
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Clifton fourth beach
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Fish Hoek
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Llandudno
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Melkbosstrand
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Mnandi
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Muizenberg
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Strandfontein
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Silwerstroom
The Blue Flag Season will run from December 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 for Bikini Beach, Clifton Fourth beach, Fish Hoek, Llandudno, Melkbosstrand, Mnandi, and Silwerstroom.
Camps Bay, Muizenberg and Strandfontein will have an extended season until March 31, 2021. The Blue Flag applicable times at all of these beaches is from 10am to 6pm daily.
‘Beaches are popular places to spend time with family and friends in the outdoors and to enjoy the summer weather. After months of restricted movement, it is expected that more people will flock to the City’s beaches this summer. The Western Cape Premier has also announced the resurgence of COVID-19 in the Cape Town metropole which will impact on the summer season. I urge all residents to adhere to the safety regulations when they are at our beaches and pools. We are also extremely proud that 10 of the City’s beaches once again ticked all the boxes and will be flying the flag of excellence,’ said the Mayoral Committee Member for Community Service and Health, Councillor Zahid Badroodien.
Beachgoers are reminded to only swim in the ocean when lifeguards are on duty. Additionally, swim only between the red and yellow flags and adhere to all safety protocols.
Picture: Unsplash
