Blue Flag status for 7 South Coast beaches
Pennington is the new 'kid on the block' being recently awarded full Blue Flag Status.
The KZN South Coast received seven Blue Flag Status awards at a recent Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (Wessa) Blue Flag ceremony held in Cape Town.
The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality received a special certificate for Trafalgar Beach which has been 15 consecutive years on the programme.
A total of 48 beaches, four marinas, and seven tourism boats were recognised for meeting the highest environmental management, education, safety, accessibility, and sustainability standards, earning them the esteemed eco-labels.
The awards also acknowledge the efforts of 18 pilot beaches, highlighting their progress in striving for Blue Flag status.
The list of beaches which received Blue Flag status are: Marine Beach, Trafalgar Beach, Southport Beach, Umzumbe Beach, Ramsgate Beach, Hibberdene Beach and Pennington Beach.
Pilot beaches are Rocky Bay, Preston, Umthwalume, Scottburgh and St Michaels.
Wessa says that earning a Blue Flag is no small feat, with 33 stringent criteria to meet, ranging from water quality to environmental education, accessibility, and visitor facilities.
The award highlights the dedication of local municipalities, tourism operators, marinas, and volunteers in educating, advocating, and acting for the beauty and biodiversity of the country’s coastlines.
“Today, we celebrate beaches, marinas, and tourism boat operators that have met the stringent requirements for Blue Flag and Green Coast status, as well as the passionate people behind these efforts,” said Wessa CEO Cindy-Lee Cloete.
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