Buffalo City Municipality calls on all residents to work in unison in a bid to recover Gonubie beach Blue Flag status.

The Blue Flag campaign, an initiative of the Foundation for Environmental Education, is an eco-label awarded to beaches and marinas in 34 countries across Europe, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and Caribbean. Gonubie beach received its Blue Flag status in October 2005.

For beaches to receive Blue Flag status they need to comply with four main criteria: water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety and services. All Blue Flags are only awarded for one season at a time and should some criteria not be fulfilled during the season or the conditions change, the Blue Flag is withdrawn.

Gonubie beach unfortunately lost its status due to the one criterion namely, water quality. Water quality is affected by a number of factors including sampling being done outside the municipal area (Port Elizabeth) due to a lack of registered sampling outlets, electrical outages leading to small spills into the ocean and polluted rivers.

Gaining and maintaining blue flag status is a collective effort of communities, schools and the municipality and requires ongoing community awareness, beach and river clean-ups and regular monitoring. The municipality therefore appeals to its partners to help win back the Blue Flag beach status.

The city’s community services department will be making every effort to win back the status, however residents are urged to report anything that is seen as a threat to the beaches.

Issued by: Communications Department
Tel: (043) 705 1123
Fax: (043) 722 4791
Email:darbyg@buffalocity.gov.za
Website:www.buffalocity.gov.za