Chani Courtney, the Isle of Wight representative for Surfers Against Sewage, along with Al Chisholm, are calling on residents to join them for a paddle out protest at 11am this coming Saturday (18th May 2024).
This event forms part of a broader series of over 30 protests happening from Cornwall to Edinburgh, addressing the critical issue of sewage discharges into the UK’s waterways.
A Nationwide call for cleaner waters
Surfers Against Sewage, a prominent environmental advocacy group, has organised these protests.
They’re demanding an immediate cessation of sewage discharges, which they argue are causing significant ecological and health issues across the country.
Chani (pictured below) passionately stated,
“We deserve clean seas, Southern Water have invested and done trails with their Pathfinder project.
“We now need to see these measures with full scale roll out and no delays not only from Southern Water, but from the Environment Agency, DEFRA and the Isle of Wight Council.
“Last year had over 273% more rainfall than the long-term average, but these exceptional circumstances will only increase with climate change.
“We are the custodians of our waters and need to demand action to ensure our marine ecosystems and our health are not detrimentally affected by sewage pollution. Please stand with me at this day of national protest and be heard.”
Sewage statistics stir concerns
In 2023 alone, there were at least 582,000 ‘sewage spills’ into British waterways, accumulating a staggering 4,693,170 hours of pollution, according to the report ‘Top of the Poops’.
The Isle of Wight experienced 38,648 hours of sewage and water mixture entering its waterways.
Specific sites like Calbourne and Sandown recorded thousands of hours of continuous sewage discharge, impacting both the environment and local communities. Calbourne had the highest single event at 1,673 hours into a protected chalk stream, and the two outflows from Sandown combined for the year came to 4,000 hours.
Local improvements and National outrage
Recent initiatives such as the Pathfinder trial have shown some success in reducing sewage spills.
For instance, Appley has notably prevented over 80 spills since the implementation of the new systems, including 11 in March alone.
Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, emphasised the urgent need for action,
“Once again, the public face a grim choice this summer – risk swallowing sh*t or forego a dip in the water.”
Support from high profiles
Dame Kelly Holmes, a double gold medal-winning Olympian, will join the paddle out in Brighton. She expressed her frustration over the polluted state of UK waters, which compromises the health benefits and community spirit of water sports. She remarked,
“This incredibly special pastime has been tainted for all of us by the persistent risk of getting sick from pollution.”
Sewage pollution at the forefront of environmental concerns
Surfers Against Sewage are advocating for an ambitious target: the elimination of sewage discharges into all bathing waters and high-priority nature sites by 2030.
As the nation approaches a general election, the issue of sewage pollution has surged to the forefront of environmental concerns, pressing politicians to commit to substantial and measurable improvements.
Where and when
The Isle of Wight paddle out protest takes place from 11am this coming Saturday (18th May 2024).
Gather at The Green, Gurnard or pinpoint the location with whatthreewords ///bleach.clutter.mermaids.
