8 blue flag beaches between Knysna and Plett
Sixty-six blue flags will be proudly flown at 46 beaches, eight marinas and by 12 sustainable tourism boats around South Africa over the forthcoming 2018/19 Blue Flag summer season, of which eight beaches in total are found between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
Tourism Blue Flag Stewards from Santos Beach in Mossel Bay with Clr Dirk Kotze, Patience Molokoza and Dr Thommie Burger.
The season opens officially on 1 November this year.
This was announced at the National Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (Wessa) Blue Flag launch hosted by the Mossel Bay Municipality at Santos Beach on Friday 12 October.
The local beaches that received this prestigious award are Buffalo Bay and Brenton-on-Sea in the Knysna area, and in Plettenberg Bay, it was Robberg 5, Keurboomstrand, Nature’s Valley, Lookout, The Dunes and Singing Kettle.
Western Cape has most flags
The Western Cape has achieved the highest number of Blue Flag sites, with 30 beaches, 12 boats and seven of the eight Blue Flag marinas. The Eastern Cape has been awarded one Blue Flag marina site and retained their seven beaches. Kwa-Zulu Natal has been awarded nine Blue Flag beaches.
The Blue Flag programme also allows for potential Blue Flag sites to participate in the pilot programme. This year, 24 beaches across three provinces have been awarded pilot status and throughout the 2018/19 Blue Flag season, Wessa will work with beach managers and Tourism Blue Flag Beach Stewards from these pilot beaches, towards the longer-term goal of achieving full Blue Flag status.
Speaking at the event, the national department of tourism’s director of programme planning and implementation Patience Molokoza said, “Through programmes like the Tourism Blue Flag Beach Stewards that is implemented by Wessa, we can address the issue of South Africa’s youth unemployment. This programme is meant to capacitate the youth and provide skills training and development. Programmes like these would not be possible if it were not for partnerships with municipalities.”
At Santos Beach in Mossel Bay were (from left):Cape Town safety and security committee chair Mzwakhe Nqavashe; Mossel Bay community services manager Niklaas Booisen; Mossel Bay deputy mayor Dirk Kotze; national tourism director of programme planning & implementation Patience Molokoza; Wessa board member Nontobeko Sibisi; Wessa CEO Dr Thommie Burger; and Wilderness Municipality representative R Ruyters. Photos: Supplied
’14 000 people trained’
She added, “The Blue Flag project has a number of highlights: we have managed to educate and train more than 14 000 people over a period of two years and we applaud Wessa for their involvement in this programme.”
Vincent Shacks, Wessa general manager of the ecotourism unit, noted that the municipalities, marinas and boat operators who have achieved the prestigious Blue Flag award today are our sustainable tourism champions and all South Africans should be proud of these achievements.
“Blue Flag is a voluntary eco-label, so all of the effort and funding that are put into improving these sites are done in the interest of those using them. We are especially inspired by those sites where municipalities, the business sector and local residents are all working together to maintain this standard of excellence.”
Since its launch in 1987, the Blue Flag programme has continued to grow, not only regarding the number of member countries and sites involved but also in its range of expertise within marine and freshwater environments. Wessa is proud to be the national implementing partner for Blue Flag in South Africa since 2001.
Article: Supplied
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
Source: Knysna Plett Herald News