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Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
FRIDAY, 20 OCTOBER 2006:
The Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism has today (Friday, 20 October 2006) awarded
Blue Flag status to 23 beaches at the annual Blue
Flag ceremony held at Bay of Plenty beach, Durban in
KwaZulu-Natal. A Blue Flag is an international
annual award given to beaches
that meet EXCELLENCE in the areas of safety,
amenities, cleanliness and environmental standards.
The
Blue Flag campaign is one of the flagship
programmes implemented by the Department under the
Coast Care programme, an initiative to implement the
White Paper for Sustainable Coastal Development. The
campaign was officially launched in South Africa in
October 2001, ‘and has since grown significantly and
steadily’, according to Dr Naomi Mdzeke, Chief
Director responsible for Integrated Coastal
Management in the department. Reflecting on success
of the campaign Mdzeke said “In October 2001, we
only had 3 full status beaches and a handful of
pilot beaches. Today we see that 23 beaches
receiving full Blue Flag status and many more are
becoming pilot beaches working towards accreditation
for the next season”.
“As we celebrate South Africa’s achievements in Blue
Flag we never lose sight of the achievement that
South Africa was the first country outside of Europe
to be granted the right to implement Blue Flag,
which in Europe has
become a recognised eco-label, assuring beach goers
that these beaches meet standards of excellence
within certain criteria”, Mdzeke said.
South African beaches continue to achieve
world-class standards and an ever-increasing number
of beaches are now flying the international
eco-label the Blue Flag. Local authorities
participating in Blue Flag report the
following advantages from their Blue Flag beaches:
an increase in visitors, improved behaviour on the
part of beachgoers, local businesses use Blue Flag
for promotional purposes, property in areas adjacent
to Blue Flag beaches are being marketed as being in
proximity to such a beach, and beach visitors are
happy to be visiting a well cared-for, world-class
beach.
The Blue Flag campaign is currently run in 42
countries globally and interest in the campaign
continues to grow. There are now almost 3,500 Blue
Flag beaches and marinas around the world. In South
Africa, the campaign is run by
WESSA (Wildlife and Environment Society of South
Africa) on behalf of the Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism ( DEAT).
The following beaches received full Blue Flag
accreditation for the
2006/7 season:
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Bronze beach,Umhlanga
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Umhlanga Rocks Main beach
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North beach, Durban
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Bay of Plenty, Durban
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South beach, Durban
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Anstey’s beach on the Bluff in Durban
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Addington beach, Durban
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Lucien beach, Kzn South Coast
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Ramsgate Main beach
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Marina beach, Southbroom
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Gonubie beach, East London
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Kelly’s beach, Port Alfred
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Wells Estate, Port Elizabeth
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Humewood beach, Port Elizabeth
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King’s beach, Port Elizabeth
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Dolphin beach, Jeffrey’s Bay
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Lappiesbaai beach, Stilbaai
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Grotto beach, Hermanus
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Kleinmond beach, near Hermanus
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Hawston beach, near Hermanus
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Bikini beach, Gordon’s Bay
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Mnandi Beach, Strandfontein Cape Town
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Clifton 4th beach, Cape Town
The Blue Flag event marks the end of the
Department’s National Marine Week
celebration which seeks to create awareness about
our marine and coastal
environments.
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For more information contact:
Blessing Manale (Acting Chief Director:
Communications) Mobile: 083-3812-939
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