BIG BEACH CLEAN UP DAY
Members of the three Dioceses of Cape Town, False Bay and Saldanha Bay organized a Big Beach Clean up day on the 4th of December.
The event took place at four beaches, Hout Bay, Milnerton, Muizenberg and Strandfontein.
Kirsten Chelsea from Holy Nativity Hazendal reflects on her day
“Myself and about 30 other people attended a beach clean up at Hout Bay where we picked up trash from the beach. Before the clean up we shared fellowship, got to know one another and made it known that what were doing is not for ourselves but for the creatures that inhabit the oceans.
We started with a fun icebreaker led by JP Roberts and then had praise and worship. Rev Glynis and Rev Shaun led us in a beautiful liturgy reflecting on the ocean . In John 21: 1-14 we read of Jesus by the sea of Tiberias which was full of fish and they were able to eat and all make a living by fishing
It was an experience that I will never forget as this was my first beach clean up . The people with whom I shared the day enjoyed it as much as I did. We felt so much joy in knowing that this small act would make a large impact on this place that God has created for us”
The participants also took the opportunity to have a moment of protest against the seismic blasting that Shell is starting on the Wild Coast. They plan to blast every ten seconds, twenty four hours a day for 5 months. This will be very distressful for the marine life who depend on sound to guide their way. It may affect their mating patterns and some may become beached . it will also badly affect the fishing communities as stocks of fish will move away from the sound. Even if the seismic blasting does find oil or gas we stand firmly against it, it will destroy the livelihoods of people in the area who depend on fish and eco-tourism and it is the last pristine area of South Africa’s coastline. We are already suffering from climate change and stand against any new fossil fuel explorations in Africa
As Anglicans we say – OCEANS NOT OIL #oceansnotoil
