Home Services Events Sponsorships Travel Merchandise
Developers and government officials in Durban, South
Africa, plan to build a small-craft harbor and commercial promenade that
could destroy an excellent surf spot known as Vetchie's Reef. The project
promises to modernize the area and help Durban economically by providing
jobs. Local residents, surfers, fisherman, and environmentalists strongly
oppose the project and believe that the meager economical growth the project
will provide does not justify the destruction of Vetchies Beach. The
opposition has labeled the project as "a playground for the rich", being
built for the sole purpose of inflating property values in the area to
benefit a small elite group of investors.
Vetchies, is not only Durban's "cradle of surfing", where thousands have
learnt to surf, but also a site for divers and snorklers, as well as
fisherman who depend on the natural state of the reef for their livelihood.
The project plans to cement over most of the beach and reef, which will
completely burry the wave, the beach, and the ecosystem of the area.
Save the Waves executive director, Will Henry, states that "governments keep
failing to recognize the economic and environmental value of surfing, and
instead opt for harbor and coastal projects, which damage the natural
environment and tend to benefit only a handful of people". " He adds, " I
don't think depriving people of access to this unique stretch of beach on
the East Coast of KwaZulu-Natal is going to help tourism at all. It probably
will do the opposite."
Carla Graziosi, Save the Waves environmental director, explains that this
issue is not only destroying a site to be considered part of Durban's
heritage, but it's also threatening the environment, "It's environmentally
irresponsible to make such a dramatic alteration and disruption to a marine
habitat that is visited by over 300 species of birds, 23 of which are listed
under C.I.T.E.S. as conservation's highest protection status."
Opposition letters are requested by Save the Waves and local groups, to be
sent to the "Save Vetchies" campaign at the following address: savevetchies@gmail.com
before the 30th of January 2007.
