Home Uncategorized Nearly 20 000 people support petition to halt Shell’s planned blasting on the Wild Coast

Nearly 20 000 people support petition to halt Shell’s planned blasting on the Wild Coast

by Zahid Jadwat

PORT ST. JOHNS – Thousands of people have signed an online petition started by the Oceans Not Oil Coalition against oil and gas company Shell’s plan to conduct a seismic survey in search of oil or gas deposits off the East Coast of South Africa.

 

For five months beginning on December 1, 2021, Shearwater GeoServices will drag up to 48 air guns through 6,011km² of ocean surface between Morgans Bay and Port St. Johns in the Eastern Cape on behalf of Shell Exploration.

 

During the five-month-long survey, the company will fire air guns which produce loud shock wave emissions that penetrate through 3km of water and up to 40km into the Earth’s crust directly below the seabed.

 

The petition – which is asking Minister of Environmental Affairs Barbara Creecy to withdraw the approval of Shell’s application – gained the support of nearly 20 000 (18 1288) by Wednesday morning.

 

Speaking to Salaamedia, co-founder of Oceans Not Oil Janet Solomon explained that the plan would have catastrophic effects on marine life along the coastline between Morgan Bay and Port St. Johns. 

 

“They [air guns] produce lethal or sub-lethal injury in a variety of sea animals. They can produce hearing loss which can be temporary and permanent,” she said.
 
Solomon pointed out that the damage to hearing could be particularly disastrous since sea animals rely greatly on their auditory systems. She said: “Most sea animals don’t work visually – they work with their auditory systems to find out where where their school is or the rest of their pod is; they work with sound to to find out where their prey is, where they feed [and] they reproduce”.
 
 
Solomon outlined other severe effects, including organ rupture, disruption of migration, feeding efficiency and orientation.
 
Julie Alli spoke to Janet Solomon, co-founder of Oceans Not Oil coalition on News & Views. Listen to the full discussion here:

Related Videos