It is managed internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and locally, in South Africa, by the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA). Acquiring the coveted Blue Flag status helps encourage improved ecosystem and environmental management by municipalities and the safer, cleaner and better managed facilities enhance tourism.
Look out for a Blue Flag flying at some beaches in KZN where the local municipalities are certified to have complied with the programme’s criteria and standards.
Picture: Blue Flag in South Africa
Blue Flag in South Africa is run through WESSA locally and FEE internationally.
Blue Flag Beaches
A new national Blue Flag list is published by WESSA each year in November, before the start of the holiday season. This includes beaches (indicating full or pilot status), marinas and boats.
During the 2021/2022 Blue Flag announcements, two Blue Flag beaches in the Ray Nkonyeni Municipality in KZN were honored for their outstanding acheivements in maintaining a long history of excellent care of their beaches.
Marina: Twenty consecutive years on the programme. This is the only beach in South Africa to have achieved this.
Trafalgar: Ten consecutive years on the programme (which it shares with Natures Valley Beach in the Western Cape).
Blue Flag Stewardship Programme
WESSA, in partnership with the National Department of Tourism, set up the Tourism Blue Flag Project which aims to improve tourism facilities and services offered at Blue Flag beaches across South Africa, while also providing youth employment opportunities. Through this project, 200 participants will be employed in the role of “Beach Stewards” and hosted by local coastal municipalities at Blue Flag sites. The participants will also receive accredited training in environmental education and practical work experience, with the ultimate aim of developing them for further employment in the coastal tourism sector (the “Blue Economy”).
For more information visit WESSA's website (link below) or contact:
Project Manager
Mandy Noffke
021 701 1397
mandy@wessa.co.za
Coastal Coordinator
Tevya Lotriet
064 880 0491
tevya.lotriet@wessa.co.za
Additional information
Find out more about BLUE FLAG and GREEN COAST AWARDS
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