Hundreds of people row in protest against sewage pollution

VaselineMay 18, 2024

0 4 minutes read

Hundreds of people row in protest against sewage pollution

Hundreds of protesters took part in a mass demonstration on a beach in Cornwall to demand action against sewage pollution. Under blue skies, crowds gathered on Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase beach, where sewage frequently spills into the area.

Surfers, paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers took to the water together, following passionate speeches on the beach. The protest was one of more than 30 taking place across the UK at the same time, led by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), who are calling for an end to sewage spills affecting UK rivers and seas as sewage overflows keep going. have a devastating impact on ecological and human health.

SAS is calling for an end to sewage discharges in all bathing waters and priority natural sites by 2030. In 2023, there were 584,001 discharges in England, Scotland and Wales – a 51% increase on the previous year – with sewage released in waterways for a total of 12,966,322 hours.

Read more: Dramatic footage as large cruise ship docks on tiny beach

The protest comes at the end of a bad week for South West Water, which apologized after drinking water was contaminated with animal faeces in Devon. A damaged valve on a pipe in a field containing cattle resulted in 46 cases of cryptosporidiosis in the Brixham area.

There are 15 images in this photo story – click the “Next” button at the bottom of the page to see them all.

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People gathered on Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth just after 10am on Saturday morning.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Ahead of the protest, Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Once again, the public is faced with a grim. choice this summer – risk swallowing shit or forgoing a dip in the water.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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He continued: “This year offers an opportunity to turn our collective anger into action and end the sewer scandal, with panicked politicians in listening mode, desperate to ride the waves of popular sentiment.

“The general election is imminent and the public is on the seafront and riverside, making it clear that the issue of sewage pollution is high on the agenda. Before the elections, all parties must show real and quantifiable commitments to the people. to eliminate sewage pollution or suffer the consequences.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Surfers against sewage was created in 1990 by a group of Cornish surfers from the north coast villages of St Agnes and Porthtowan a Cornwall both suffered from sewage pollution and still suffer to this day.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Water companies have proposed £11 billion investment plans to reduce sewage downloads for the next five years, with customer bills rising in tandem – a move that did caused public outrage, particularly in the context of the profits paid to water company bosses and shareholders year after year.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Giles Bristow added: “Like the Falmouth rowers, thousands of people are protesting on the water this weekend to inform politicians, regulators and water companies that the public will not let them struggle out of demands for clean seas and rivers”.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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He continued: “We are calling for sufficiently ambitious plans to end sewage pollution priority natural sites and the waters we sail, swim and paddle in by 2030 putting people and nature before profit. We will not tolerate this broken system longer.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Just after 11am, hundreds of people took to the water to row together in protest against sewage pollution.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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In the sea, surfers, paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers all rallied, clamoring for action on sewage and water splashing.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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At the same time, similar protests took place in more than 30 locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with flagship protests in Falmouth and Brighton.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Double gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes, who planned to row with protesters in Brighton, said: “There’s nothing I love more than going out on the open water on my paddle board – it does wonders for my sanity and there is such a sense of community among those who use our wild waterways for sport and recreation.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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She continued: “But this incredibly special pastime has been tainted for all of us by lingering risk getting sick from pollution. The poor state of our rivers and seas is shocking and infuriating. Entire generations are deprived of the right to safely enjoy the benefits that blue offers spaces. Our waterways are for us and should be here for us to enjoy because they are so important for our collective health and well-being. Events costing thousands are cancelled. to you see our rivers and seas being treated so appallingly by those responsible for their care they are nothing short of a national scandal.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Dame Kelly Holmes added: “I’m paddling with Surfers Against Sewage and thousands of water lovers from Country because I am passionate about our waterways, I am angry about what is being done to it them and I want the polluters and those in power to hear our pleas to end the sewage pollution now.”

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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Surfers Against Sewage held a similar rally in Falmouth last year, but many believe the situation has not improved since then, with water quality predicted to be a central issue influencing voters in the next general election.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

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While Brighton had Double gold medalist Dame Kelly Holmes had a highly cross mermaid, Anna Findlay, who says she’s tired of swimming in polluted seas and has a message for South West Water.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

VaselineMay 18, 2024

0 4 minutes read

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