Cape Towns Top Class beaches
Blue Flags Fly High on Cape Town Beaches
By Sandy Cosser
Nineteen of South Africa's beaches have been awarded a coveted Blue Flag from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), six of those beaches are in Cape Town, four in Port Elizabeth and four on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Blue Flag status means that a beach has achieved and maintained international standards regarding safety, cleanliness and amenities. It also demonstrates commitment to environmental conservation/preservation.
Application for Blue Flag status is purely voluntary, and in South Africa is managed by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and relevant coastal authorities. INineteen of South Africa's beaches have been awarded a coveted Blue Flag from the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), six of those beaches are in Cape Town, four in Port Elizabeth and four on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Blue Flag status means that a beach has achieved and maintained international standards regarding safety, cleanliness and amenities. It also demonstrates commitment to environmental conservation/preservation.
Application for Blue Flag status is purely voluntary, and in South Africa is managed by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and relevant coastal authorities. Initially a European initiative, in 2001 it expanded to include international beaches and South Africa was one of the first countries in the queue for inspection. That first year only four SA beaches were awarded Blue Flag status, but the number has been climbing and peaked at 20 beaches in 2005 and 2006.
Currently more than 3,300 beaches are part of the Blue Flag programme in countries all around the world, including, Bulgaria, Croatia, Iceland, Turkey, Jamaica, Romania and Scotland. Countries that haven't quite reached Blue Flag status yet, but are in the pilot phase of the programme include Tunisia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Malta, Brazil and Aruba. South Africa has 16 beaches in the pilot phase and hopes that they will achieve Blue Flag status in time for the Soccer World Cup in 2010. These beaches include: Fish Hoek (Cape Town), Kleinmond (Hermanus), Cannon Rocks (Eastern Cape) and Trafalgar (Hibiscus Coast Municipality).
The SA beaches who met the FEE's standards of Environmental Education and Information, Water Quality, Environmental Management and Safety and Services include:
• Dolphin Beach (Jeffrey's Bay - Eastern Cape)• Hobie Beach (Port Elizabeth - Eastern Cape)• Kelly's Beach (Port Alfred - Eastern Cape)• Bikini Beach (Gordon's Bay - Western Cape)• Camps Bay Beach (Cape Town - Western Cape)• Hawston Beach (Hermanus - Western Cape)• Muizenberg Beach (Cape Town - Western Cape)• Margate Beach (South coast - KwaZulu-Natal)• Ramsgate Beach (South coast - KwaZulu-Natal)
Durban (KwaZulu-Natal) is still smarting after having the Blue Flag status of six beaches revoked earlier in the year. The beaches were found to have an 'unacceptably high' level of sewage-related pollution in the water and haven't been able to rectify the problem as yet.
References:
www.southafrica.info/travel/surf/blueflagbeaches.htmwww.blueflag.org
Sandra wrote this article for the online marketers Lathita South African holiday and safari specialists for honeymoons, safaris and African holidays of all kinds, Lathita has the package and location for you.
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10.12.2008. 06:54
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