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Cape Town - The Blue Flag beaches for the upcoming 2015/16 summer season in the southern hemisphere has been announced, praising SA's international sunny spots for their commitment to the ensuring a safe beach environment for humans and marine life alike.
The new Blue Flag season officially opens on 1 November.
In total, South Africa boats with 84 Blue Flag status sites for 2015, made up of beaches, marinas, boats as well as pilot status sites. Forty-nine Blue Flag sites have been listed in the Western Cape, with Cape Town laying claim to 7 blue flag beaches in total – the highest number for any one city.
READ: Cape Town tops for SA's Blue Flag beaches
While everybody is familiar with the Western Cape's rather popular beaches, these permanent blue flag beaches along KwaZulu-Natal's South Coast is where you should pitch your umbrella on the South Coast this year:
Beaches that are awarded the blue flag status are praised in various categories; they can be given a permanent or pilot blue flag status and also be commended for being recognised in the progamme for more than five consecutive years.
Twenty-four of the top South African beaches that have achieved Blue Flag status for the forthcoming 2015/16 season have also received special recognition for their sustained commitment to marine and coastal conservation through their long-term and continuous participation in the international Blue Flag Programme.
This recognition, awarded in partnership with the Wildlife and Environmental Society of South Africa (WESSA), acknowledges the value of Blue Flag not just to the environment but also to tourism, economic development and job creation.
Minister Derek Hanekom says he believes the vision for the Blue Flag should be that it becomes the norm for South Africa’s beaches to have Blue Flag status.
Hanekom announced WESSA and the Department of Tourism are entering into a formal partnership with a coastal job creation project, which will involve 200 people working on Blue Flag beaches all around the country.
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