Surfers condemn beach awards

Surfers Against Sewage are urging the general public to be very wary of the array of awards and flags that are flown on the UK's beaches in the summer. The surfers are concerned that awards such as ENCAMS Seaside Award, can mislead the public into thinking that the beaches flying the trademark flags have clean, safe water. As 317 of the nations beaches are awarded the blue and yellow flags today, the surfers are warning beachgoers to be aware of what these flags actually mean, before they venture into the water.

The Seaside Award is awarded to those beaches that meet a number of beach management criteria such as the provision of first aid facilities, clean toilets and disabled access. The water at those beaches also has to meet the bare legal minimum European standard for water quality, a standard that the surfers and scientists have shown is not high enough to protect public health.

Vicky Garner of SAS said today

" SAS are urging all beachgoers to think carefully about what they want from a trip to the beach. If they want clean toilets, first aid facilities and disabled access then they can look for a beach flying a Seaside Award and they're likely to find their beach. If on the other hand they are looking for clean, safe water to enjoy, then a beach flying a yellow and blue Seaside Award is not what they want".

"We are all for encouraging people to use the UK's beaches, our marine environment is a resource we should be proud of. Surely though, we should be focusing on providing a resource for the public, which is clean and safe for them to enjoy? In a way, what the Seaside Award has done is reward those beaches with poor water quality, which then lessens the drive for water quality to be improved at these locations. In the long term, ignoring poor water quality will not serve to improve the tourist industry of the UK, especially if someone contracts Hepatitis A or E.Coli 0157 at a beach flying one of these flags".

In SAS's view, the only way to give the beach going public the best chance of avoiding sewage pollution is to provide up to date, real time information on water quality, on site. This would have to be a Europe wide initiative and is an issue that the surfers are currently lobbying the European Parliament and Commission to address.

For further details contact Vicky Garner on 01872 553001