Anglers join Greenpeace in opposition to oil giant’s survey plans

A South African sea angling association joined forces with activist groups in an attempt to prevent an international oil giant conducting a seismic survey off the country’s Wild Coast.

The Border Deep Sea Angling Association joined organisations, including Greenpeace, in an unsuccessful bid to stop Shell from carrying out the work, claiming that it would have a major impact on local wildlife, particularly migrating humpback whales in the area.

A South African court concluded that the applicants had failed to persuade the judge that there was reasonable fear of ‘irreparable harm’ if the appeal was not granted. Shell has already been the subject of an online petition and many rallies in response to the survey. On December 2nd, several local communities, along with two civil society organisations, Sustaining the Wild Coast and All Rise Attorneys for Climate and the Environment, filed a separate court lawsuit seeking to suspend the project.

Greenpeace said it will discuss the decision with other applicants and its legal counsel while continuing to support the application presented on behalf of Wild Coast communities.

“We will continue to support the nationwide resistance against Shell and pursue the legal avenue to stop Shell. We must do everything we can to undo the destructive colonial legacy of extractivism, until we live in a world where people and the planet come before the profits of toxic fossil fuel companies,” said Happy Khambule, Senior Climate and Energy Campaign Manager for Greenpeace Africa.

Shell cancelled plans to assist in the development of the Cambo oilfield in the North Sea of the UK on Thursday, citing rising criticism of the project, but has maintained its plans for the South African coastline (above) despite strong local resistance.

Main picture: The Amazon Warrier, which is due to carry out the seismic survey