British Surfing Association News
SAS New Guidance For Offshore Renewables Launches Protect Our Waves Campaign On World Oceans Day
BSA News
NEWS RELEASE
08/06/09
Surfers Against Sewage has published their new guidance for offshore renewable developers today, World Ocean Day, as the first act within the new Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign. The guidance highlights sites of special surfing interest that developers should avoid. If the guidance is used effectively it could also help speed up the consent process for suitable offshore developments.
The guidance can be read at: http://www.sas.org.uk/pr/2009/pdf09/eia-1.pdf and SAS are posting a hard copy to all offshore renewable developers as well as the relevant industry and Government bodies.
SAS has consistently supported offshore renewables and believe they can play a vital part in meeting the UK’s legally binding commitment to generating 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020. SAS’s guidance is the first document to really promote the surfing community as an important stakeholder in this sector. It identifies what wave resources are important to the UK surfing community and where they might be. The guidance works within the existing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process and so shouldn’t be more onerous. SAS’s new guidance can facilitate offshore renewable developments by speeding up the current consent process for suitable projects.SAS believes it is imperative that any potential impacts on the nearshore wave climate are considered within the EIA process. This is especially relevant with the larger scale projects proposed in the latest rounds of seabed leasing for offshore energy production. Whilst the initial, smaller offshore wave, wind and tidal projects currently in the water appear to have negligible impact on the near shore wave climate to date, larger projects have the potential to have larger impacts.
Surfing is a well established sport in many regions of the UK, providing great economic and social benefits to the surfing and wider community. It is estimated that over 1% of the UK population surf. In 2004 surfing brought in over £64 million to the Cornish economy, as well as providing over 1,600 jobs. However, with larger scale projects being encouraged, SAS are concerned any possible impact on the surf resource and surfing community is being overlooked. Offshore renewable developers embracing this new guidance will ensure that the surfing resource and the surfing community are well engaged with the EIA process and any potential impacts can be highlighted early on and hopefully avoided.
This guidance launches the Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign, a significant expansion of SAS’s campaign remit. The POW campaign is dedicated to the protection of surf spots from unacceptable levels of environmental impact, impacts on wave quality and recreational water users right of access. SAS will use their 20 years campaign experience, expertise and contacts to ensure the POW campaign is heard at the highest levels of Government down to local decision makers. SAS will work with, and where necessary, against NGOs and developers to ensure surf spots get the protection they deserve.
Surfers Against Sewage Campaign Manager, Andy Cummins, says: “There’s an abundance of clean sustainable energy in the offshore environment, enough for surfers and offshore renewables to both get their fill. We hope this new guidance will highlight sites of special surfing interest that offshore developers can avoid. This is the first action of many within the POW campaign, here to ensure surfers have a voice.”
-ENDS-
For more information please contact Andy Cummins on 01872 555 950 or 07711 767 548 or email andy@sas.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Notes to editors:
The reports Annex 1 which contains surf maps of the UK can be found at:
http://www.sas.org.uk/pr/2009/pdf09/eia-2.pdf
http://www.sas.org.uk/pr/2009/pdf09/eia-3.pdf
http://www.sas.org.uk/pr/2009/pdf09/eia-4.pdf
The POW campaign will have a mass action at Broadbench on the 20th of June, International Surf Day. This will see several hundred surfers and waveriders enter the water, highlighting the passionate support for 100% access to the Broadbench surf spot. Currently the MOD restricts access as Broadbench falls on the boundary of a firing range. As with all SAS campaigns, we have identified a solution that will accommodate surfer’s 100% access and full use of the firing range for the MOD.
Rapanui calls in the Marines for World Oceans Day
Ethical surf-wear label Rapanui has called for all UK surfers to help support the Marine Conservation Society’s Marine Reserves campaign, strengthening the brand’s commitment to raise awareness of the MCS’s work.
Marine reserves work in a similar way to land based nature reserves and would mean that no fishing or damaging commercial activity could take place in set areas surrounding our coasts. In UK waters its not just Atlantic Cod and Halibut on the endangered species list; whole ecosystems are being irreversibly damaged.
Marine reserves will mean protection for endangered species and allow nature some time and space to restore a balance.
MCS policy is always based on peer reviewed science. Mart Drake-Knight, Renewable Energy Engineer and Rapanui’s Sustainability Director thinks this is key;
“Marine Reserves are essential for Ecosystems, but they’re also essential to ensure the sustainability of the UK fishing industry too. They allow fish their own space to breed and replenish critically low numbers in surrounding waters. That is why the United Nations, over 300 European marine scientists and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution have all made repeated calls to establish UK marine reserves. These groups call for 30% of our seas to be in marine reserves. The current figure is 0.005%.
At Rapanui we have seen how sustainable practice can really change an industry and give economy a boost. Economy really can go hand in hand with environment. We think this applies to Marine Reserves too, and that is why we are proud to be supporting the MCS in their cause.”
Rob Drake-Knight, Rapanui co-founder explains the brothers’ enthusiasm for the work of the MCS
“We set up Rapanui after being affected by surfing in polluted waters and the MCS seemed like the obvious conservation charity for us to support from day one. To be honest we were quite naive about the state of the marine environment initially, and it wasn’t until we took part in Beachwatch scheme (Rapanui’s April 2008 clean at Grange Chine on the Isle of Wight recovered over 500kgs of beach waste) and became educated – thanks to the MCS – that we realised how little the general public knows about our coast, any organisation which educates, campaigns and supports development of the marine environment deserves our full support.
On 3 December 2008 a Marine Bill was announced in the Queen’s Speech. Although the bill is welcome and essential, it needs to be strengthened and the introduction of marine reserves in the UK needs to be included, you can sign the manifesto online and more information is available at:
www.rapanuiclothing.com/marinereserves
Rapanui Clothing is manufactured using Organic fabrics, practices ethical trade and uses wind and solar powered factories. Set up by brothers Rob and Mart Drake-Knight, now 22 and 23, Rapanui recently earned a finals place at the 2008 Sustainable Business Awards in Southampton, is listed as one of the Top 100 startups of 2008, and has provided bespoke versions of its eco-friendly clothing to Ben and Jerry’s and the Marine Conservation Society.
Rob and Mart Drake-Knight are listed on the Future 100 list of young entrepreneurs.
For more information view the website at:
www.rapanuiclothing.com