Yacht club claims damages after oil spill

“Lack of weir maintenance is a major reason why this has happened and it is the BYC and the wildlife that has ultimately paid the price, time and again,” said Bluff Alliance member, Ivor Aylward, who is working with the BYC. On Friday, 20 March, an oil spill of unknown origins flowed down the Amanzimnyama canal, into the harbour and pooled around the BYC, Southlands Sun reported.

A week later on 27 March, oil flowed downstream following a fire at the Africa Sun Oil Refineries factory in Mobeni, despite the concerted efforts of the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) and disaster management companies to contain the spill upstream.

“It is sad. Not only have we had numerous spills like these in the last few years, but the canals and harbour are treated like a rubbish dump. We see all kinds of rubbish and waste floating through here daily. Something needs to be done,” BYC member, Peter Peterson said.

Members of the club have collated the individual costs of removing each yacht from the water, cleaning, repainting and returning them to the water, repairing moorings and the damage to the beaches alongside the BYC and will be submitting it to the municipality.

“We have had enough and we want the municipality to take action to ensure this does not happen again,” Peterson added.

Last week, the department of environmental affairs issued a directive to directors of Africa Sun Oil Refineries following the vegetable oil spill from the burnt down factory.

In the directive, the company has been ordered to determine the cause of the fire and resulting oil spill, the risk it may have on public health and safety as well as the toxicity of the substances and by-products released during the spill.

– Caxton News Service