Cape Town is king of the beaches again, being one of two cities with the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in the country.
Seven of the City’s most popular beaches were awarded Blue Flag status as part of the National Blue Flag Programme, coordinated by the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA).
The beaches were awarded Blue Flag status during a ceremony hosted by the National Minister of Tourism, Derek Hanekom, in Hermanus today, 6 October 2015.
The City also received Blue Flag Long Service awards.
- A Silver (10-year service) was received for Clifton 4th Beach and Bikini Beach and
- A Bronze (five-year service) was received for Silwerstroomstrand, Camps Bay, Llandudno and Mnandi beaches.
In addition, three Cape Town Marinas received full Blue Flag status: the False Bay Yacht Club, the Water Club, and Harbour Island.
The City has successfully participated in the Blue Flag Beach Programme since its inception in South Africa in 2001, and has long been leading the country in achieving world-class standards for beaches.
‘We are very proud that so many of our beaches are recognised as meeting the very high standards set out in the Blue Flag Programme. This shows that the sustainable environmental management in place has succeeded in maintaining our coastal ecological integrity, despite the over one million visitors to our beaches over the festive season.’
‘The City’s Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department, in conjunction with other departments, works hard to ensure that our beaches are clean, safe and full of fun activities for holiday-makers and we trust that the popularity of our beaches will continue to grow,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee for Community Services and Special Projects, Alderman Belinda Walker.
The following City beaches were awarded full Blue Flag status for the 2015/16 summer season which runs from 1 December 2015 to 31 March 2016:
1. Bikini Beach
2. Mnandi Beach
3. Strandfontein Beach
4. Llandudno Beach (December to January)
5. Camps Bay Beach
6. Clifton 4th Beach
7. Silwerstroomstrand (December to January)
Fish Hoek, Seaforth, Muizenberg and Melkbosstrand beaches were awarded pilot Blue Flag status for the 2015/2016 summer season which means they will be considered for full Blue Flag status if certain criteria are met within a specified period of time.
The City is planning to extend Blue Flag Status to these four beaches in order to bring the total number of Blue Flag beaches up to 11.
Expanding the number of Blue Flag beaches is an important goal for Cape Town, as it will further promote the city as a premier international beach holiday destination.
‘Not all beaches in Cape Town have Blue Flag status but this is not a negative reflection on these beaches. The Blue Flag status serves merely as a monitoring tool to assist the City in improving and enhancing services and facilities on all public beaches according to international best practice. We will continue to maintain the already-high standards set at all of our beaches,’ said Alderman Walker.
The Blue Flag is an international accreditation awarded to beaches that display excellence through meeting 33 criteria covering four categories including: environmental education and information; water quality; environmental management; and safety and services. Participation in this international programme is voluntary and the status indicates that the beaches all have their own environmental education programmes, have bathing water of the highest standard, are clean, have adequate ablution facilities and parking, are environmentally sound, are safe and secure to visit, and adhere to international safety and tourism standards.
