Beaches in danger of disappearance

By Claudia Luna

Sometimes humans forget to defend those things that have no voice or right to vote. Unfortunately the sea is one of them and right now there is a problem faced by all lovers of the sea in Barcelona, which is that our beaches are disappearing gradually.

One example is that recently the Bogatell’s beach has been delimited by three meters deep breakwaters and has caused the disappearance of waves. That's not all, this project includes nearly 5,000 meters of coastline, and so the rest of the coast of Barcelona is under menace.

According to information on the Barcelona City Council web page: “these actions are the aim to repair and reinforce the final sections of the existing breakwaters and the creation of submerged structures to reduce the loss of sand.”

“The goal is to carry out the actions necessary to achieve an effective system for stabilizing all the beaches of Barcelona, from the beach of Barceloneta to the Nova Mar Bella beach, near the Besos’s rivermouth.”                                           However thanks to this plan the seabed is the first to suffer the massive transformation in addition of the environmental deterioration caused by the absence of waves.

At first glance those action seem to be a structure and reinforcement plan, but the reality is that besides being unsightly, they do not appear to be optimal to stop the loss of sand, especially considering that they are brutally damaging the environment.

Surfrider Barcelona is concerned about it and we hope that the voices of those who fight for the safety of the oceans are taken into account.

Here some photos taken in April in Bogatell beach, Barcelona.

To make a complaint, give your opinion, or to report a pollution problem write to our mail: surfriderbcnsurfriderbcn.org

C’est aussi l’une des plages les plus sales de Marseille du fait de sa situation géographique (large ouverture sur la rade, estuaire de l’Huveaune, orientée plein ouest directement sous les vents dominants lors des passages pluvieux d’ouest) et de sa forte fréquentation (lieu de pique-niques sur le sable et dans les digues).

Ainsi, ce sont des vagues et des vagues de déchets qui viennent s’échouer sur la plage d’Epluchures Beach tout au long de l’année, constituant un véritable raz-de-marée d’ordures en tous genres.

Parce que nous voulons surfer, naviguer ou nous baigner dans une eau propre, parce que nous voulons une plage sans déchets, le 2 Mai nous serons tous présents pour dire : Sauvons Epluchures Beach!

Programme :

10h Début de la journée

11h Cérémonie d’enterrement de la Plage
      Photo de masse « STOP POLLUTION » 
      Départ à l’eau pour le Cercle
 

12h30 Pause repas

13h30 Activités sportives: par équipes de 5, challenge beach-volley, stand-up paddleboard (SUP) et pirogue.

Toutes les informations sur http://sauvonsepluchures.org/ et sur facebook

La limpieza contó con alrededor de 80 participantes, incluidos los miembros de diversos clubs de surf de la ciudad y sus alrededores, como Terrasa Surf Club, Raval Surf, SurfCatalunya y la Asociación Catalana de Surf, además de la gente preocupada por el medio ambiente. Demostrando que todos podemos hacer un pequeño esfuerzo para lograr grandes cambios.

Durante la mañana los asistentes mostraron su mejor disposición para seguir las instrucciones dadas por los coordinadores, y juntos trabajando en equipo a lo largo de tres horas lograron recoger aproximadamente 8 metros cúbicos de residuos sólidos de la playa, principalmente de los espigones, dónde se encontraron principalmente con latas, botes de plástico, cartones, bolsas y  hasta prendas de vestir. Estos residuos llegan hasta ahí arrastrados por la marea, y se quedan almacenados en las piedras, haciendo difícil el acceso a ellos, por ello, los voluntarios se dedicaron cuidadosamente a extraer lo máximo que pudieron de la zona.

De éste modo, la ciudad de Barcelona ahora forma parte de las más de 5000 limpiezas efectuadas en todo el mundo durante los días 18,19, 20 y 21 de marzo de este año.
Las Iniciativas Oceánicas, son el programa a nivel mundial que planifica diversas actividades de ayuda a la protección de las aguas de ríos, lagos y mares del planeta. Además de esto, ofrece actividades complementarias trasmitiendo sus valores, misión y objetivos para sensibilizar al público sobre las consecuencias de la actividad humana en el litoral y responsabilizarlos para que sus acciones tengan menos impacto en el medio ambiente.

Surfrider Barcelona, fue formada en noviembre del 2009, y con este evento suma ya dos limpiezas de playa en su haber, la primera hecha en enero de este año, además de la realización de distintos eventos deportivos, culturales y educativos, como viajes de esquí, exposiciones de fotografía y campamentos.

Mostrándose como un capítulo activo, y lleno de gente joven y activa dispuesta a dedicar su tiempo y esfuerzo a la ayuda del planeta.
Actualmente, Surfrider Foundation cuenta con más de 50,000 miembros entre sus 90 delegaciones internacionales.

Para más información sobre nuestras actividades puedes visitarnos en la web: www.surfriderbcn.org

Comme l'an dernier nous nous sommes attaqués aux plages de la côte Picarde.

Jeudi 18 mars:

La plage de Fort-Mahon a été nettoyée par les écoles primaires et maternelles de Quend et de Fort-Mahon, alors que pendant ce temps 5 classes du lycée de Rue et une classe du collège d'Aumale travaillaient sur la plage de Quend.

Un grand merci à la base nautique Ozone de Quend et à l'école de voile de Fort-Mahon pour leur chaleureux accueil.

Vendredi 19 mars:

Un seul site au menu mais une multitude de zones en conditions différentes. La plage, les dunes, le port, la piste cyclable longeant un marais, le bassin de chasse (lutte contre l'ensablement de la Baie de Somme). Ce sont plus de 8 km de plage, rive ou berge qui ont vu défiler les écoles primaires et maternelles du Crotoy et de Saint-Firmin, 3 classes du Collège du Marquenterre et 3 classes du Lycée Professionnel du Marquenterre.

Un grand BRAVO et un grand MERCI à tous les participants, municipalités, parrains (Banque Populaire, Région Picardie, Agence de l'eau), partenaires (Rectorat d'Amiens, Club de plage No Shoes, Base Nautique Ozone, Ecole de Voile de Fort-Mahon) et à toutes l'équipe de l'administration de la Cité Scolaire du Marquenterre en particulier monsieur Chéron, Proviseur.

RDV l'année prochaine...le travail de recherche de subventions a déjà commencé pour l'édition 2011. 

Indeed, we had to join our efforts to the different actors that also fight for the protection of the environment in the department of Gironde!

The MNE (Hous of Nature and Environment) has as object in their statutes :

• to have an action of global reflexion, raising awareness and education concerning protection of nature and environment.
• assume the coordination of the activities of the different associations for the functioning, the services and the management of the office available to the environmental associations of Bordeaux and Aquitaine.
• to be the interface between the associative world, the other environmental actors and the large public.

For more information, visit the blog of the House of Nature and Environment of Bordeaux : mneaquitaine.wordpress.com

On Friday, pupils from secondary school and high school cleaned up a beach, in partnership with the association “Grain de Sable” and helped by local inhabitants.

Saturday was entirely devoted to board sports (windsurf, kitesurf, hobycat…) with a free initiation, thanks to the Rohu sailing school.

Surfrider thanks all people who participated in this week end, and hopes doing it again next year. Without waiting for the surfing Day 2010, we will gather again for the Ocean Initiatives 2010.

For almost 15 years, Surfrider has struggled against beaches pollution issues and against macro wastes. They have also warned the population and elected representatives by these beach cleaning which are everywhere in Europe. 500 beaches on 20 countries were cleaned last year and the 2010 edition will certainly even more ambitious.

For this year, you can organize and participate in the Ocean Inititaves all along the year. To do this, you have just to visit the website of the Ocean Initiatives.

What’s the goal of Basso Berri (reusable glasses)
Reducing the production of plastic wastes during those types of events in the Basque country. With two millions of persons, it may be tonnes of rubbish threw during the event of wich hundreds finished in the street and in the nature.

How does it work?
With 1€ given, you’ll have your “basso berri”, then you make your “poteo” (around the pubs). If you want you can return your glass in a “Peñas” (partner) and you’ll get back your euro, s the glass will be reusable! 300 000 will be distributed.

To order a glass, just give your “basso berri” to the waiter!

Surfrider’s local chapter of Holland actively participated to the festival, bringing its environmental touch and organizing awareness-raising actions. The chapter held a stand with information, the petition and merchandise. As the festival was settled on a beach, it was essential for the organizers and Surfrider’s volunteers to leave the site even cleaner than it was before the opening of the festival!
In this spirit, the Holland chapter organized a beach clean-up and introduced the association’s missions and values. Even though the beach seemed rather clean at first, 75 rubbish bags were filled with all kinds of waste after two hours of active cleaning!

For the participants of the clean-up, a lottery was organized with great prizes to win: board bags, wetsuits and much more. Surfrider’s chapter managed to “recruit” new volunteers and new members and was very pleased to have been able to increase public awareness during the whole festival and to get such good positive reactions!

Other alternatives can be found !

Say "No" to the extension of the marina of Le Betey!

Surfrider’s local chapter of Gironde had already organized the same kind of symbolic action when they held a “beach burial” of Le Betey beach in September 2008. This action, covered by French regional television news and the TV show Thalassa, needs to be pursued to show that our mobilization remains comprehensive.

The association “Le Betey, plage boisée à préserver”, deeply involved in the fight against the disappearance of the wooded beach of the Bassin d’Arcachon (southwest of France), also shows the citizens’ will to keep a unique natural site.

If you also wish to keep this beach as a natural site and a recreational area, join this demonstration!

Saturday July 11th, 2009 at 2pm at the beach of Le Betey in Andernos

For more information, contact Stéphane Vezignol (Surfrider's chapter of Gironde) at  +33 (0)6 33 36 07 87  or Clarisse Holik (Association "Betey, une plage boisée à préserver") at  +33 (0)6 07 02 03 57