Eight City beaches have been awarded Blue Flag status by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA), while two others were awarded pilot Blue Flag status.
The beaches that have been successful in their Blue Flag accreditation applications are: Bikini Beach, Camps Bay, Clifton 4th Beach, Fish Hoek, Llandudno, Melkbosstrand, Muizenberg and Silwerstroom. Pilot blue flag status was awarded to Mnandi and Strandfontein.
WESSA uses 33 criteria across four categories to determine whether a beach meets the requirements for Blue Flag recognition. The categories are Environmental Education and Awareness, Water Quality, Environmental Management and Safety Services.
Among the criteria are universal access, effective waste management, availability of interpretive signage and control of domestic animals, e.g. dogs on beaches.
“This is a wonderful achievement for our Recreation and Parks Department, but Cape Town as a whole. As we wade deeper into the summer season, our beaches and recreational facilities will be bustling with residents and visitors. A lot of hard work continues behind the scenes to ensure that we are summer ready, and that residents and visitors alike will enjoy our world class amenities and facilities. Details of our lifeguard deployments and general summer safety plans will be made public in the coming weeks, as we count down to the start of the festive season, and this Blue Flag announcement is a most welcome boost,” says Mayco member for community services and health Patricia Van der Ross.
The Blue Flag Season will run from Friday 1 December to Wednesday 31 January at all of the accredited beaches, except Camps Bay and Muizenberg, where it will be in effect until end March next year.
