A small scale fishing community on the West Coast are preparing to take on the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and Searcher Seismic from carrying out an exploratory seismic survey.
According to reports, CJN researchers from Rhodes ELRC and UCT EGS are working with the Legal Resources Centre, Natural Justice, Masifundise, Coastal Links, and several other organisations to assist the fishing community in this litigation after Searcher Seismic obtained all the necessary requirements to commence the seismic survey.
The groups have now tabled a letter of demand to the survey to stop as fishing leaders are deeply concerned about the impact of this seismic survey, along with the cumulative impacts of the onslaught of extractive and polluting activities taking, as per the Coastal Justice Network.
1/4 The @LRCSouthAfrica has sent a letter of demand on behalf of a number of West Coast fishing communities to suspend commencement of yet another Seismic Survey, this time on the West Coast, Orange basin. pic.twitter.com/ocDtcperWb
— MasifundiseDevTrust (@MasifundiseDT) January 14, 2022
Also read: Another seismic survey is 3 days away – Australia takes its shot at Cape oceans
Meanwhile, the fishing community would be hoping for the same outcome as the one which halted Shell from blasting the ocean floor along the Wild Coast.
Shell’s plans were halted after the Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda found that the seismic surveying was devastating to the marine environment as well as harmful to communities’ rights.
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Shell’s Amazon Warrior exploration vessel departs South Africa’s shore
Picture: Twitter / @shellslies