A South African court on Thursday upheld a ban on oil and gas giant Shell’s seismic exploration project off the country’s wild coast, reaffirming an unprecedented victory for locals and environmentalists.
The project had been suspended by the courts in December and Shell had withdrawn its research vessel from South African territorial waters in January.
The decision granting “a right to explore (…) oil and gas in the Transkei and Algoa exploration zones is reviewed and annulled”, declared the court of Makhanda (also known as Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape province.
This is a monumental victory for the planet,” several environmental organizations said in a joint statement.
The role of the ocean in the livelihoods and culture of coastal communities influenced the decision, which was sensitive to the fact that “the requesting communities” argued that they “have duties and obligations towards the sea and other common resources, such as land and forests.
“The ocean is the sacred place where their ancestors live, and therefore they have a duty to ensure that their ancestors are not unnecessarily disturbed and that they are satisfied,” the ruling says.
In its first decision, the court criticized Shell for failing in its duty to consult with local people, who hold fishing rights and have a “special spiritual and cultural connection to the ocean”.
The ‘habitat’ of spectacular wilderness, South Africa’s Wild Coast stretches for some 300 kilometers along the Indian Ocean and includes several nature reserves and marine protected areas.
The exploration project involved sending powerful shock waves every 10 seconds over an area of 6,000 square kilometers by boats equipped with air cannons.
We respect the court’s decision and are reviewing the decision,” a spokesman for the oil giant, which reserves the right to appeal, told Agence France-Presse.
The South African government supported the project, given the investment it represents, but the court also noted that Shell had not shown how the activity would benefit the local community, particularly through job creation.
“As Wild Coast people, we live off the land and the ocean. The government tells us that oil and gas will bring job opportunities, but we know very well that it will destroy our livelihoods,” said Nonhle Mbuthuma, spokesperson for the Amadiba Crisis Committee, a local environmental organization.
“There are 148 oil and gas projects underway in Africa. This victory will reverse the trend,” said Melita Steele, Interim Program Director for Greenpeace Africa.
Environmentalists stress that most marine animals depend on their hearing and the blasting method used in oil and gas exploration can alter their behavior, feeding, migration and reproductive cycles, especially in the case of whales.
Source: Observadora
