Shortly after a successful court interdict prevented Shell from conducting its seismic surveys along the Wild Coast, a similar project along the West Coast is on the cards. Communities along the coast have already mobilised against the project, and a demonstration of solidarity will take place this weekend at Muizenberg Beach.
Small-scale fishers Christian Adams (left) and Anthony Andrews (right) representing the Steenberg Cove Small Scale Fishers Community, with The Green Connection’s Liziwe McDaid, outside the Western Cape High Court. Picture: The Green Connection.
READ: New seismic survey on the cards for Western Cape shores
The Green Connection, an environmental advocacy NGO, revealed that Searcher Geodata UK Limited, an oil and gas exploration company, may have already started with its multiclient 2D and 3D seismic survey operations, which extends over several petroleum license blocks over the West and South-West coasts of the country.
Liziwe McDaid, Strategic Lead at The Green Connection stated that ‘it is outrageous that, so soon after everything wrong with Shell’s application had been exposed, do we find ourselves in a very similar position where government and the oil and gas industry are willing to risk the livelihoods of small-scale fishers.’
‘However, this time it could affect coastal communities all the way from Hondeklipbaai in Northern Cape down past Langebaan and Saldanha Bay, on the West Coast,’ she continued.
According to the NGO, the Reconnaissance Permit in terms of Section 74 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa was granted on 6 December 2021.
A demonstration in Saldanha against the Seismic surveys along the West Coast. Picture: The Green Connection.
Small demonstrations were held in towns along the West Coast on January 23, the same day small-scale fishermen delivered an affidavit to the Western Cape High Court.
‘We have come here today 21 January 2022 because we want to want to stop the seismic surveys that the government has approved to happen here on the West Coast. We want to stop the blasting because of our cultural heritage and the connection that we have with the ocean,’ says John Adams, one of the applications from Steenberg Cove in St Helena Bay. ‘By allowing this to happen, we will upset the ancestors and these operations will hinder our efforts to preserve our ocean for future generations’
The protest upcoming protest will take place at Muizenberg Beach on Sunday 6 February 2022 from 10:00.
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