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The Jeffreys Bay surf community came out in full support of the Supertubes Surfing Foundation’s call to prevent the building of a nuclear power station at nearby Thuyspunt. 200 – 250 people donned either black or yellow T-shirts and formed a human NO nuke sign on the Supertubes beach, the venue of the annual Billabong Pro surf event.
The protest formed part of International Surfing Day, a worldwide event where surfers from beaches across the planet unite to celebrate the Sport of Kings and highlight issues facing the environment.
The biggest concerns the Jeffreys Bay surf community have regarding the unpalatable prospect of having a nuclear power station on their doorstep are not hard to understand.
During construction of the nuclear station, an unprecedented amount of sand will be pumped into the ocean that will cause a layer of sediment 10 – 15 cm deep. The Environmental Impact Studies (EIA) readily acknowledges that the sediment will have an impact on the reefs in the vicinity.
Furthermore the sediment will have an adverse affect on the breeding grounds of the squid at Thuyspunt and will lead to the demise of the R 500 million industry in the area. Many surfers are fisherman whose jobs will simply be lost if the power station is built.
The social impact will also be devastating to Jeffreys Bay, which is already battling to cope with a high crime rate and people who are waiting for houses to be built and to receive other basic services.
The Supertubes Surfing Foundation is concerned that a mass influx of jobless people seeking work will cause house breakings to escalate and put the Jeffreys Bay Police under even more pressure. This point is also mentioned in the Impact Study which also acknowledges that an increase in alcohol abuse, drug abuse and HIV will also occur in the area. This is simply unacceptable as Eskom will not take responsibly for the looming social disaster that is waiting for Jeffreys Bay.
The Jeffreys Bay surf community will be joining others in a protest march on 17 July to coincide with the Billabong Pro to again voice their dissatisfaction with Eskom’s decision to make Thuyspunt a preferred site for a nuclear power station. With all the international media crews in the town for the Billabong Pro, the march is sure to receive worldwide coverage.
The message is clear from the surf community in Jeffreys Bay and is supported by surfers from all over the world. Don’t build a Nuke at Thuyspunt.
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