INFORMATION
DOCUMENT
13 November 2003
CITY COUNCIL ACTS ON COASTLINE SAFETY AND PROTECTION
page
one
The
City of Cape Town is launching a campaign to protect Cape Town’s beaches and coastline and the people who use them.
This
comes as a welcome move as the summer season gets underway, with all its
traditional potential problems of petty crime on the beaches, drownings,
poaching, illegal fishing and improper and dangerous boat use in the water.
The
first phase will extend from the Atlantic Seaboard and will include Melkbos to
Atlantis and Silwerstroom.
The
aim of the campaign is to offer greater safety to the people who use these
recreational areas and rid the city’s coastal waters and beaches of criminal
activity.
The
launch was held at Big Bay Lifesaving Club on Thursday 13 November and
the public enjoyed a static display and watched various offshore
activities that included a mock sea rescue, displays of 4x4s, boats and rubber
ducks, rescue equipment and military items.
Various
other role-players worked with the City on the project in a co-ordinated
approach and were involved in the launch demonstration, including elements of
the South African Police Services, Marine Living Resources, the NSRI, the South
African Defence Force’s Blaauwberg Commando, the South African Navy, City Law
Enforcement and traffic police, Eskom, the Border Police and the South African
Air Force.
One
of the more pressing problems currently faced by Marine Living Resources, is its
ongoing battle to prevent poaching and illegal fishing, as well as ensuring that
craft being launched from the two launch points in this area are seaworthy,
properly marked and comply with permit conditions.
Attendant
to this, the City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Services will now patrol with
strict control measures on the beaches and anyone not complying will pay the
price.
CITY COUNCIL ACTS ON COASTLINE SAFETY AND PROTECTION
page
two
“Our
shoreline plays an integral role in the life of this city,” said Councillor
David Erleigh. “It is our declared intention to make these beaches safer for
those who use them and to clear our coastline and its marine resources of those
who want to abuse them.
“The City of Cape Town takes this responsibility seriously,” said Councillor Erleigh. “We welcome the assistance and intervention of any agency that will help us achieve this goal.
“As our coastline is a major recreational resource for the citizens of this city and all who travel from around the world to visit us, we need to ensure that it will remain a safer, better place to be.”
E N D S
For further information, please contact Lisa Hayward at Rosemary Hare, Mitchell, Wicomb Public Relations, on 021-465-1166 or 072 626 9339.
All information documents produced by Rosemary Hare, Mitchell, Wicomb Public Relations are available on the website www.rosehare.co.za