Minister Creecy should put seismic blasting along Wild Coast on hold to allow for proper public participation

11 November 2021

The DA calls on the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy to urgently reevaluate the consent she has given for the seismic blasting in the ocean along the Wild Coast.

We share the grave concerns of civil society and residents regarding the proposed plans for blasting in the area, which is due to start on the 1st December 2021.

The blasting, due to be carried out by Shell and approved by Minister Creecy and the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy Gwede Mantashe, will consist of five months of powerful deep water blasting all the way from Morgan’s Bay to Port St Johns. The blasting could have a devastating impact on local marine life, including the numerous whale species that frequent the area. It is likely that some of these whales will be calving during this period.

Minister Creecy must urgently advise as to how this potentially devastating blasting operation was given the go-ahead by her department, especially in light of the allegations by activists that the public consultation process was flawed and not properly conducted.

Apparently community consultation on the matter took place seven years ago in 2014 and since then there has been no tangible follow up with the Wild Coast community or the organizations that raised concerns at the time.

A spokesperson for Shell claims that the impacts on marine life are “understood” and that “mitigation measures” will be put in place. Shell also claims that there is “no indication” that seismic blasting is connected to whale strandings. This is however in direct contradiction to a study conducted in 2013 by Dalhousie University and the Okeanos Foundation, which concludes that seismic airguns are one of the highest contributers of human-caused underwater noise, only second to nuclear explosions. It specifically states that:

“…impacts range from behavioral changes such as decreased foraging, avoidance of the noise, and changes in vocalizations through displacement from important habitat, stress, decreased egg viability and growth, and decreased catch rates, to hearing impairment, massive injuries, and even death by drowning or strandings.”

Shell has said that they will be able to prevent any marine animal from entering the blast area and that all activities will cease if a marine animal is spotted. How they propose emptying a stretch of coastline of marine life for 5 months and keeping it free from marine life is yet to be seen. Furthermore, studies have found that these seismic blasts can be heard up to 4000 kilometers away from the blast site.

The DA therefore urges Minister Creecy to reevaluate her consent for the blasting and to put it on hold until such time as an updated, transparent and comprehensive public participation process is concluded. The Minister and her department should be fighting to protect and conserve our fragile natural environment and not simply rolling over in the face of pressure from powerful stakeholders.

Issued by Dave Bryant, DA Shadow Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, 11 November 2021