Surfers Call environmental action group hold anti-mining protest paddle

The Surfers Call environmental action group held a protest paddle on the weekend at the vlei that flows into Elands to resist an application to prospect for Tungsten. If the application is approved it will mean five years of prospecting near the Verloren Vlei, and possibly lead to a massive open-cast mine in the valley.

Mining in pristine wetlands is so obviously a stupid idea that you would think any application would be laughed straight out of the Dept of Minerals and Energy Affairs. Unfortunately, if there are lots of precious minerally things in the ground you can bet your new epoxy SUP that the dark-side is going to be working hard to make this mine happen. To show how serious they are, the miners have put 23 million ZA Rond on the table just to get the prospecting ball rolling. If that's the opening move, then you got to sit up and listen. These ouens mean big business. If you don't like what you're hearing, then you better stand-up and start acting. That's exactly what the paddle was about - a symbolic act to show resistance to any mining in this amazing area.

Organised by waterman Conn Bertish, around 20 surfers paddled 10kms to the mouth of the vlei on SUP's, longboards, shortboards and even surfskis. Conn was joined by his brothers Chris and Greg, the Palama Metsi surf developement crew, some random, ferral westcoast surfers, world freediving champ Hanli Prinsloo, a bunch of amped children and the only bone-fide Eland's Local.

The paddle was a great cruise down the vlei in a stiff SW breeze, and after the hype at the start, all the paddlers drifted into their own rhythm and thoughts. The scenery was just incredible, with an amazing amount of bird-life around. Curious locals and tourists lined the banks at the mouth of the vlei to see the paddlers come by wearing screaming Edvard Munch-like skeleton masks, making a simple and dramatic statement. The paddle was timed perfectly to reach the sea as the sun was setting over the break. A quick surf in the twilight made for a great ending to a day of peaceful, collective protest against greed.

For more on the proposed mine visit the Verloren Vlei Coalition website . The Surfers Call is an ocean-based environmental activism collective, and you can join up on Facebook - CLICK HERE.