Annual Report 202

In Landunvez, the organisation joined an official local discussion group on bathing water quality. Thanks to a press kit detailing the results of samples taken during the summer, Surfrider was able to highlight that the samples taken by the ARS were too far from the bathing areas, making their results unreliable. Ongoing monitoring of these waters will enable us to check the effectiveness of the measures taken recently.

In Guadeloupe, Surfrider took part in a legal action with the OFB to denounce inadequate wastewater treatment infrastructures, which led to bacteriological pollution on Petit Havre beach in March 2023. The suspicion of widespread pollution led to the implementation of in-depth monitoring of bathing water quality at two sites, Le Gosier and Petit Havre, in order to gather more data.

Although the collective has refocused some of its work on air quality, Surfrider has continued to support efforts in Wijk aan Zee, in the Netherlands, to denounce the pollution of beaches and bathing water in the vicinity of the Tata Steel factory. The organisation contributed to the creation of an awareness-raising video on this issue.

Finally, in Martigues, legal action was taken against the company KEM ONE for ferric chloride pollution. Although the outcome was moderately positive, this action illustrates Surfrider’s unwavering commitment to the fight against pollution and the preservation of the aquatic environment.

In Tarragona, in collaboration with Good Karma Project, specific work was carried out on the issue of industrial plastic granules (IPGs), in response to numerous leaks from a major petrochemical industry complex. A landmark event was organised at the European Parliament in May, with the presence of the Spanish entity team and Good Karma Project, to raise MEPs’ awareness of pollution by IPGs. Following this, a request was made to the Catalan authorities to have the pellet pollution recognised and to hold the companies concerned liable. The request was accepted, and an investigation is under way to identify the industries responsible.

In Roscanvel, a request has been submitted to the Finistère prefecture concerning an old, incorrectly listed landfill site located less than 100 metres from the coastline. The landfill was eroding, causing waste to be released into the sea.

As a result of these efforts, the landfill was included in the list of sites at risk of dumping waste at sea, paving the way for funding to clean it up.

Once again this year, the Coastal Defenders have been actively involved in preserving the coastline, intervening in several controversial development projects.

In the case of the Castets Surpark, a notable victory was achieved when the project was abandoned in March 2023, after the technology supplier and builder withdrew. This success underlines the importance of vigilance and action in preserving coastal ecosystems.

In July, legal proceedings were launched in Canéjan to prevent the construction of a Surfpark. Surfrider has applied to the Bordeaux administrative court to have the planning permission cancelled. The Surfrider Coastal Defenders have done a great deal of work gathering additional data in order to consolidate the legal case, with the aim of cancelling the construction of this infrastructure and preserving local ecosystems and groundwater reserves. The association has also launched a petition that has attracted 60,000 signatures, demonstrating public opposition to the project.

In Tehaopoo, Surfrider Foundation has become involved in the protest against plans to build a control tower for the 2024 Olympic surfing events in Teahupoo. The association criticised the lack of transparency and dialogue in the decision-making process, pointing out that stakeholders were informed after the decision had already been taken. Surfrider called for greater dialogue between all parties involved, stressing the importance of consultation and of taking environmental and community concerns into account in such projects.