Surfers, miners fight over South Africa’s white beachesLocals say the expansion of mining on the coast about 300km north of Cape Town is chasing off fish and tourists, and lowering employment opportunitiesBy Linda Givetash / AFP, DORINGBAAI, South AfricaTo those who live there, it is like a little piece of heaven, boasting pink flamingos, white beaches and blue ocean waters. Yet this stretch of South Africa’s west coast has also become a battleground, pitching mining firms against environmentalists fearful that one of nature’s last wild treasures is being bulldozed away. Mining companies say they bring much-needed jobs to the area, while abiding by environmental rules. From off-shore diamond prospecting to the construction of a new harbor, several projects threaten to scar the area, a biodiversity hotspot home to dolphins, seals and succulent plants, Protect the West Coast said. “We’ve got to show them that there’s a much better way.”Campaigners are optimistic, emboldened by victories scored elsewhere by environmentalists.

Source: Taipei Times October 23, 2022 02:46 UTC