In less than a week, our wild coast faces a massive assault on it's entire marine ecosystem. From the 1st of December 2021, Shell and CGG plan to undergo a seismic survey off the wild Coast. The search for oil and gas will take 5 months stretching over an area of 6000 km².

Seismic survey is a method of investigating underground properties and rock patterns using induced shock wave reflections, this involves directing sound energy towards the sea bed using up to 48 airguns towed by a vessel. The sound energy is reflected back to the surface in the hopes of detecting crude oil or gas. These blasts will blast continuously every 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 5 months straight. With each blast of up to 200 decimals, it can be compared to that of a nuclear bomb.

The negative impact of seismic surveying is becoming more and more evident as research continues to unveil the consequences. Marine mammals depend on sound waves to survive, locate off-spring and mates and to travel safely.  It has been scientifically proven that these blasts may cause tissue damage, hearing loss, stress, growth and reproduction issues, behavioural changes and possibly even death in marine life. The preservation of such a bio-diverse and untouched ecosystem should be of utmost importance.

Shell must be stopped before it’s too late!

Growing up we are taught that ‘United we shall stand’, but how true is that? Where have we ever seen South Africans standing united for a crisis as important as this? We want to teach our youth to stand up for what they believe in but when they do, they get laughed at or ignored. I want to live in a country that is fair and just, not in one that is corrupt and broken. If we are supposed to stand united why were none of the residents asked how they felt about the survey?  Why has no one asked South African residents for their opinion on the situation?

Shell has been publishing a lot of propaganda and self-congratulate by stating that they have been within the law and everything they’re doing is so right but if you dig a bit deeper there is no research that they have done to prove that what they are going to do with those airguns does not cause major devastation or damage.

I believe Shell must be stopped and the continuous and horrific chain of fossil fuels must end.

So what do we do?

We stand up for what we believe in. Our planet has two lungs one is green and the other is blue. If the Atlantic can stop seismic blasting why can’t we?

If there is one thing that you need to stand up for in your lifetime it’s the wild coast.

To Hell with Shell.