“NO NUKE AT THYSPUNT” MARCH –  SATURDAY 17 JULY 2010 IN JEFFREYS BAY

International Pro-Surfers currently in Jeffreys Bay as part of the annual Billabong Pro, will take some time off from the waves to join the Thyspunt Alliance in a march to voice their protest about the proposed plan by ESKOM to build a Nuclear Power Station at Thyspunt, 20km west of Jeffreys Bay.

The main aim of the march will be to highlight the many impacts that a development of this nature will have, not only on the environment but also on the social structure of the region.

Trudi Malan, spokesperson for the Thyspunt Alliance said that the Thyspunt Alliance has purposely not entered into the Nuclear vs Non-Nuclear power debate. “Nuclear is not the issue here and our opposition focuses on the negative effects of constructing a large Nuclear Power Station at Thyspunt.  The negative effects of placing an NPS on this site far outweigh any positive impact.”

One of the biggest impacts will be on the marine environment.  During construction 6.37 million cubic meters of sand will be pumped into the ocean.  This amount of sand will fill enough tip trucks to stand end to end from here to Cairo.  The plan also allows for the construction of several tunnels for the inlet and outlet pipes respectively.  The digging of the trenches for these tunnels will cause irreversible damage to an area of up to 54 000m².  The ESKOM studies have indicated that the plume created by theses actions will disperse towards Seal Point, one of the most consistent surf spots in the area.  The international surfing community has thrown their weight behind this campaign because they believe that for far to long the ocean has been used as a dumping ground.  “The out of sight out of mind attitude must stop now, if dumping the sand on land is seen as a fatal flaw, why would it be OK to pump it into the sea?” asked international pro surfer Mick Fanning.  “A development of this size on a stretch of coastline known for some of the best surf breaks in the world is unacceptable and it will cause massive damage to the environment” Fanning said.

A very alarming fact is the impact that these actions will have on the squid industry in the area.  Sedimentation lowers visibility and the oxygen content of the water and because Squid is highly sensitive to any changes in environmental conditions the breeding area would most probably be lost.  Between 28% to 37% of all squid catches in the squid sector occur within 10 nautical miles east and west of the proposed Nuclear-1 location, the squid industry, therefore stands to be the most prejudiced by the construction of such a plant and to the extent of facing complete closure.

Most of the pro-surfers competing in the Annual Billabong Pro in Jeffeys Bay will be in the line-up with the locals to voice their protest.  This includes names like Kelly Slater, Jordy Smith, Taj Burrow and Andy Irons. The march will culminate in the handing over of a memorandum outlining the negative impacts of the proposed development to the Executive Major of Jeffreys Bay, Councilor Robbie Dennis.

The march will start at 09:30 at the factory store end of Da Gama Road. People are welcome to join the protest.  Organisers have requested that people wear either black or yellow to show their support for the cause.

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