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Category Archives: Beaches

Local beaches are getting better, Metropolitan Beaches Commission report finds

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A final report from the commission is expected to be released by the end of March.

Formed in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature and made up of non-profit leaders, residents, and elected officials, the commission released its first report on the condition of the DCR managed beaches in 2007. The report evaluated beaches from Nahant to Nantasket and provided recommendations for ways to improve the waterfronts.

The second report, like the first, evaluated the beaches for cleanliness and accessibility as well as programming, infrastructure, and appeal.

The first report and the infusion of cash that came after it are credited with many of the improvements that have been seen at the beaches since 2007, something advocates would like to continue.

A tremendous amount of progress is being made, explained Patricia Foley, the president of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a clean water advocacy group that helps administer the commission.

Although progress has been made at the beaches that dot the Massachusetts coastline, Foley said advocates must remain vigilant especially when conversations turn to the states budget.

The funds we seek are modest, said Foley, who learned to swim in the waters off of South Boston. We have convinced the public that these beaches belong to them and its not unreasonable for us to expect the government to join us in the effort to make sure the beaches are clean and safe.

For the South Boston beaches, the report highlighted improvements in the beaches water quality, the cleanliness of their sand, and improvements made to the boardwalks and walkways that run along them.

The report, however, also mentioned a number of challenges DCR officials and residents face at the recreation areas, including a lack of public facilities, safety concerns, and balancing the opinions of both dog opponents and proponents.

Some suggested investments in the report included the restoration of Castle Island, updated visitor amenities, and the construction of a new bath house.

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Local beaches are getting better, Metropolitan Beaches Commission report finds

Shark-shooting at Australia beaches reassures some, horrifies others

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SYDNEY, Australia As Australians flocked to the beaches at the height of a hot Southern Hemisphere summer, a commercial fisherman hired for the task hauled in a 10-foot tiger shark, caught on a baited line set off the states south coast. The fisherman shot the shark in the head four times with a .22-caliber rifle and then towed the carcass out to sea, where it was dumped.

The catch on Jan. 26 Australia Day, a national holiday popular for beachgoing was the first under a new catch and kill policy in the state of Western Australia for large tiger, bull and great white sharks. Since then, at least one more large shark has died on the line; several smaller ones were caught and released.

The official cull comes after seven fatal shark attacks on swimmers in the state in the last three years, the most recent in November, when a 35-year-old surfer was killed. In one of the attacks, at one of the most popular beaches in Perth, no body was found, only the mans damaged swim trunks. Five of the attacks were by great whites, officials say.

The state governments decision is meant to reassure beachgoers, but it has horrified conservationists and flies in the face of global efforts to protect sharks, whose numbers have been in decline amid heavy pressure from Asian appetites for shark fin soup.

Opponents of the cull policy have mounted protests and consulted lawyers about trying to halt it in the courts. International celebrities have weighed in, including British actor and comedian Ricky Gervais and billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson.

Idiots, idiots, idiots, said Valerie Taylor, an Australian underwater cinematographer, referring to the state government, led by Colin Barnett of the Liberal Party. Taylor, 78, is known around the world for her work filming sharks; with her husband, Ron Taylor, she shot many scenes for Jaws, the 1975 movie blockbuster about a great white shark terrorizing swimmers off New England.

The worst part of what the government is doing is killing sharks that are innocent, Taylor said, by taking any large shark rather than just those known to have attacked humans. Tiger sharks are the sweetest, gentlest sharks to work with, she said. I cant believe the stupidity.

Sharks common

Sharks are common along Australias long coastline, and some swimming beaches, including Sydneys famous Bondi Beach on the east coast, have installed nets to protect swimmers. But the nets themselves are controversial because other kinds of marine life become snagged in them and sometimes die. In New South Wales last summer, the toll included two humpback whales and two sea turtles.

Western Australia generally has not installed nets on its beaches, relying instead on aerial and beach patrols to warn swimmers. It has also tried an alert system, tweeting the whereabouts of some tagged sharks.

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Shark-shooting at Australia beaches reassures some, horrifies others

Administrative ineptitude

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04 February 2014| last updated at 10:59PM

VISIT Malaysia Year 2014 is the campaign enticing tourists from all over the world on the promise of beautiful beaches, a wide range of shopping options and the cultural pluralism that makes the country "truly Asia". Malaysia boasts eco-tourism that includes such natural wonders as the Rafflesia, the world's largest flower; the orang utan and other wildlife; and, beautiful waters for snorkelling and diving. In short, almost a paradise here on Earth. For the most part, all this is not too far off and tourists are seldom let down. Many will be visitors to this country again and again. In Penang, heritage is a big selling point given the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) recognition. The whole island is liberally dotted with all kinds of tourist attractions, and prime among them are the beaches of white sand and blue seas.

That pristine and postcard-worthy picture is now being marred by the severe pollution of Batu Ferringhi beach. The blue seas are tainted by a large patch of black water, the source of which is a mystery, but nevertheless polluted and not merely there for the colour contrast. The beach is also strewn with rubbish left unattended by the local authorities. It is an ugly representation of official neglect not in keeping with the photographs and videos making the rounds worldwide of beautiful "Malaysia Truly Asia". Instead, a regular visitor would voice disappointment and disgust at the apparent carelessness of those in charge -- who else but the DAP-led state government ensconced there for the last five years and now fresh in their second term, but already exhibiting a lacklustre performance as witnessed by the effluents polluting the waters off Batu Ferringhi and the uncollected rubbish on its beaches.

Undoubtedly the state government is busy with ensuring Penang island's physical connectivity to the mainland, what with the soon to be officiated second bridge and the much-objected-to proposed tunnel. Even if this is intended to ease tourist access to the island, of what use are they if the final destination is nothing less than a rubbish dump? The idyllic setting of Penang Island with its colonial and multi-cultural heritage is being denuded by lack of care. To what end is not certain, but one thing nearly undeniable is that all the states now in the hands of the so-called Pakatan are exhibiting a degree of wear-and-tear symptomatic of administrators who are novices at the game. But Kelantan, after decades of Pas, suggests that the Pakatan parties are just not equipped to govern. The Batu Ferringhi pollution then is testimony to DAP's mistaken priorities and an agenda unfathomable from the perspective of the public good.

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Administrative ineptitude

Discover the Caribbean at Schooner’s Seafood Grill at Beaches Turks & Caicos – Video

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Discover the Caribbean at Schooner #39;s Seafood Grill at Beaches Turks Caicos
Journey to colonial times as you tantalize your taste buds with the freshest seafood served mere steps from the Caribbean Sea at Schooner #39;s Seafood Grill at ...

By: beachesresorts

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Discover the Caribbean at Schooner's Seafood Grill at Beaches Turks & Caicos - Video

New fight to protect Aussie beach culture

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AAP Surfers are pushing for a world surfing reserve between South Stradbroke Island and Coolangatta.

From Bondi in the east to Margaret River in the west, Australia's beaches remain an intrinsic part of Australia's lifestyle.

Uniquely, and despite their value and attraction, none of the country's 10,685 beaches is privatised.

Unlike parts of the Caribbean, Asia and United States, Australians anywhere can enjoy any beach, at any time.

It's that freedom to head to the coast that sparked a protest on the Gold Coast last month when 2500 people - including champion surfers Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson - took to the sand of Kirra amid rumours a developer was eyeing off the iconic beach for a possible cruise ship terminal and casino.

That proposal was quickly quashed by Queensland Premier Campbell Newman but the idea that one of Australia's beaches could be privatised clearly angered many.

Now it's been suggested that 40 kilometres of Gold Coast coastline - from South Stradbroke Island down to Coolangatta - be nominated as a world surfing reserve (WSR).

The WSR movement doesn't carry legislative protection but proponents feel the acknowledgement would give recreational surfers and other beachgoers more power to keep developers off beaches.

The WSR push is being promoted by the newly-formed Recreational Surfers Association, with Parkinson and Fanning acting as ambassadors for the establishment of a reserve on the Gold Coast.

WSR co-founder Brad Farmer says it's vital no beaches in Australia be given over to private hands.

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New fight to protect Aussie beach culture

Council has no easy fix for beachfront erosion

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Topics: beach, beachfront, erosion, mackay, region

THERE are no long-term solutions to stop beaches in the Mackay region from eroding any further.

Installing rock walls was too expensive and required approval from higher levels of government, so all Mackay Regional Council could do now was make beaches as safe as possible, community and client services director Gerard Carlyon said.

Of the region's 31 beaches, Mr Carlyon said all of them had been damaged in some way during last week's cyclone and king tides.

McEwens, Lamberts, Half Tide and Midge Point beaches were the worst hit.

Emergency work is being carried out at Half Tide Beach after land was completely washed away from under a concrete walkway.

Mr Carlyon said an excavator was on site replacing rock underneath it and pumping sand into cavities to make it safe.

At Lamberts Beach, land has been completely washed away right up to the lifeguard tower, leaving it and a toilet block dangerously close to a sand-cliff face. A council spokesman said they were looking to engage a geo-technician to examine the site and assess its stability before they would consider moving the tower.

Mr Carlyon said it was hard to consider long-term plans because coastal erosion was something that affected the entire coastline.

"My plan at the moment is to make areas safe," he said.

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Council has no easy fix for beachfront erosion

NEA issues advisory on beach closure and water sports following recent oil spill

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SINGAPORE: The public is advised to stay away from portions of beaches on Kusu and St John's Islands.

The waters there are affected by the oil spill from a recent collision of two oil tankers at East Keppel Fairway, south of Marina South.

As a result, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said 200 metres of the beach at Kusu Island and 100 metres of the beach at St John's Island are closed until further notice.

This is to facilitate the cleaning up of the beaches.

NEA said it will continue to monitor the water quality, and will inform the public when the beaches are re-opened.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said there have been significant improvements to Singapore's port waters, except for minor oil patches in the vicinity of the Southern Islands, and a few patches of oil at Pulau Seringat shoreline.

MPA said it will continue to work closely with the NEA and the Sentosa Development Corporation on the clean-up operations.

MPA is monitoring the situation in case there are undetected patches of oil.

Members of the public who spot any oil patches in the waters or coastlines can also contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9.

Vessel traffic in the Strait of Singapore and port waters remain unaffected. Port operations are also not affected.

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NEA issues advisory on beach closure and water sports following recent oil spill

Avoid beaches on Kusu and St John's Islands due to oil spill

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SINGAPORE: The public is advised to stay away from portions of beaches on Kusu and St John's Islands.

The waters there are affected by the oil spill from a recent collision of two oil tankers at East Keppel Fairway, south of Marina South.

As a result, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said 200 metres of the beach at Kusu Island and 100 metres of the beach at St John's Island are closed until further notice.

This is to facilitate the cleaning up of the beaches.

NEA said it will continue to monitor the water quality, and will inform the public when the beaches are re-opened.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said there have been significant improvements to Singapore's port waters, except for minor oil patches in the vicinity of the Southern Islands, and a few patches of oil at Pulau Seringat shoreline.

MPA said it will continue to work closely with the NEA and the Sentosa Development Corporation on the clean-up operations.

MPA is monitoring the situation in case there are undetected patches of oil.

Members of the public who spot any oil patches in the waters or coastlines can also contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325-2488/9.

Vessel traffic in the Strait of Singapore and port waters remain unaffected. Port operations are also not affected.

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Avoid beaches on Kusu and St John's Islands due to oil spill


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