Yacht club to claim damages from city
“We have had enough and we want the municipality to take action to ensure this does not happen again,” said Peterson.
FOLLOWING two oil spills in as many weeks, members of the Bluff Yacht Club (BYC) have had enough and are submitting claims to the municipality for the damage to their yachts.
“Lack of weir maintenance is a major reason why this has happened and it is the BYC and the wildlife that has ultimately paid the price, time and again,” said Bluff Alliance member, Ivor Aylward, who is working with the BYC.
On Friday, 20 March an oil spill of unknown origins flowed down the Amanzimnyama canal, into the harbour and pooled around the BYC. A week later on 27 March, oil flowed downstream following a fire in Mobeni, despite the concerted efforts of the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) and disaster management companies to contain the spill upstream.
“It is sad. Not only have we had numerous spills like these in the last few years, but the canals and harbour are treated like a rubbish dump. We see all kinds of rubbish and waste floating through here daily. Something needs to be done,” said BYC member, Peter Peterson.
Now the yacht club is taking matters into its hands. Members have collated the individual costs of removing each yacht from the water, cleaning, repainting and returning them to the water, repairing moorings and the damage to the beaches alongside the BYC and will be submitting it to the municipality.
“We have had enough and we want the municipality to take action to ensure this does not happen again,” said Peterson.
