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Category Archives: Beaches

Most EU beaches get clean bill of health

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THE vast majority of some 22,000 swimming beaches in the EU are clean and safe, the European Environment Agency says.

The EEA annual report for 2012 showed the water met the minimum standards required for bathing at 94 per cent of all swimming beaches in the European Union.

At 78 per cent of the beaches, the quality of the water was found to be excellent, the top rating, with Cyprus leading the way as all of its 112 swimming beaches got the best review.

Cyprus, a popular holiday destination, was followed by Malta, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Finland and Spain, the report said.

"The overall message of this report is that in 2012 bathing waters in Europe remained at the high level of quality reached in previous seasons," the report said.

On the downside, it noted that some 13 per cent of Belgian swimming waters failed to come up to scratch, followed by 6.5 per cent in the Netherlands and 6.0 per cent in Britain.

In the early 1990s, about 60 per cent of EU beaches got the top rating but there has been steady improvement since then in both awareness and remedial measures, especially in terms of sewage treatment.

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Most EU beaches get clean bill of health

These beaches have gone to the dogs; lucky pooches lap up the shoreline where they run free

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - When Craig Haverstick approaches the beach with his dog in tow, Stanley instinctively knows he's in for a treat. His ears perk up and he starts sniffing the salty air.

"Chesapeake Bay retrievers are like plants, they need to be watered every now and then," Haverstick said of the 9-year-old he's been taking to the beach in San Diego weekly for eight years. "We have some great dog beaches. Dogs and people both drool over them."

Dog beaches account for a tiny fraction of the thousands of miles of U.S. shoreline, but they are treasured by pet owners and their pooches.

"Off-leash dog beaches are a canine's dream come true," said Lisa Porter, owner of Pet Hotels of America, a travel website that lists thousands of beaches and parks where dogs are allowed on leash or can run free.

Every beach has its own draw. San Diego offers three off-leash options: Fiesta Island in Mission Bay is great for swimming; Ocean Beach Dog Beach is good for dogs to play together; and Coronado's Dog Beach is described as magical.

Beaches where unleashed dogs are allowed complete freedom are typically fenced, offer drinking water and showers for dogs, bags to pick up dog feces and trash cans.

Dog lovers say the biggest problem is that there aren't enough beaches for their pets and parking is often scarce.

Efforts to create more pooch-friendly beaches, such as one that died in Santa Monica two years ago, have run into resistance from California State Parks.

Critics say letting beaches go to the dogs threatens species such as shore birds, jeopardizes the safety of visitors, ruins the experience for beachgoers and can pollute water and sand with poop and urine.

Fans who frequent the beaches say they provide a great playground for their hounds and can even be therapeutic.

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These beaches have gone to the dogs; lucky pooches lap up the shoreline where they run free

Bournemouth and Poole beaches achieve Blue Flag status once again

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Bournemouth and Poole beaches achieve Blue Flag status once again

12:10am Wednesday 22nd May 2013 in News By Diana Henderson

Bournemouth and Poole beaches achieve Blue Flag status once again

POOLE and Bournemouth beaches have made a big contribution to the south wests boast to have the most award winning sandy bays in the country.

Four Poole beaches and four at Bournemouth are among 23 in the south west entitled to fly the prestigious Blue Flag in the Keep Britain Tidy 2013 awards.

Swanage beach, which won a Blue Flag award, also secured the new Seaside Award, which went to 27 beaches including two at Bournemouth and three at Christchurch. This rewards the highest standards of beach management and in the case of bathing beaches, meets guideline water quality, replacing the Quality Coast Award.

Both Poole and Bournemouth came second to Thanet in Kent which again claimed the title for the most Blue Flag beaches with eight. Across the country there are 147 award-winning beaches.

Beaches at Canford Cliffs, Shore Road, Branksome Chine and Sandbanks can fly the flag, with the latter celebrating its 26th year of the award which for 2013 has a tougher water quality standard and marks good facilities, safety and cleanliness.

Everyone in Poole is tremendously proud of our beaches, and we are thrilled they have once again achieved Blue Flag status, said Cllr Judy Butt, Borough of Poole cabinet portfolio holder for public engagement and participation.

We are very privileged to have three-and-a-half miles of beautiful beaches on our doorstep and the council continues to work hard in keeping them to award winning standards and making them special places to visit and enjoy, she said.

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Bournemouth and Poole beaches achieve Blue Flag status once again

Watch Dirty Beaches' Sleazy 'Casino Lisboa' Video

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Alex Zhang Hungtai shares grimy clip off 'Drifters/Love Is the Devil'

When Dirty Beaches (a.k.a. Alex Zhang Hungtai) dropped "Casino Lisboa," a murky lo-fi groove that appears on the upcoming Drifters/Love Is the Devil album, SPIN's Chris Martins described the track as having "a rattling, distortion-heavy foundation while the man spits semi-intelligible venom from a mouth that seems caught in a permanent rockabilly sneer." Well, Hungtai has unveiled an official video for the song, but it's tough to tell if he's sneering much of the clip takes place in a strobe-lit performance space. The four-minute short cuts between footage of a Dirty Beaches' live show and shots of city nightlife. When Hungtai isn't on camera, the view is all sweat and sleaze as strippers, street performers, and boxers dominate the screen.

Dirty Beaches' Drifters/Love Is the Devil LP is out May 21 via Zoo Music.

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Watch Dirty Beaches' Sleazy 'Casino Lisboa' Video

EU swimming beaches get clean bill of health

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The vast majority of some 22,000 swimming beaches in the EU are clean and safe, the European Environment Agency said Tuesday.

The EEA annual report for 2012 showed the water met the minimum standards required for bathing at 94 percent of all swimming beaches in the European Union.

At 78 percent of the beaches, the quality of the water was found to be excellent, the top rating, with Cyprus leading the way as all of its 112 swimming beaches got the best review.

Cyprus, a popular holiday destination, was followed by Malta, Croatia, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Finland and Spain, the report said.

"The overall message of this report is that in 2012 bathing waters in Europe remained at the high level of quality reached in previous seasons," the report said.

On the downside, it noted that some 13 percent of Belgian swimming waters failed to come up to scratch, followed by 6.5 percent in the Netherlands and 6.0 percent in Britain.

In the early 1990s, about 60 percent of EU beaches got the top rating but there has been steady improvement since then in both awareness and remedial measures, especially in terms of sewage treatment.

The full report can be consulted at: http://www.eea.europa.eu/fr/publications/qualite-des-eaux-de-baignade-4

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EU swimming beaches get clean bill of health

55 beaches meet tough new standards

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More than 50 English beaches have met tough new EU standards to receive Blue Flag awards for 2013.

And a further 113 beaches in England are clean enough to get Seaside Awards (formerly Quality Coast Awards).

The results were announced by Keep Britain Tidy which administers the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards schemes in England.

The Blue Flag 55-beach total for 2013 is down on the 79-beach total for last year but beaches this year were subject to much tougher standards. They had to meet a new "excellent" standard required under the new EU Bathing Waters Directive.

Beaches also had to provide information to beach users advising where they can obtain real time information on discharges from nearby combined sewage overflows, if that discharge could temporarily affect the bathing water quality.

The region with the most Blue Flags this year, with eight, was Thanet in Kent, whose resorts include Margate and West Wittering. The Dorset regions of Poole and Bournemouth had four Blue Flags, as did Torbay in Devon and the Isle of Wight, which also had 13 Seaside Awards.

Other well-known beaches which were awarded Blue Flags this year included Central Beach in Skegness, Lincolnshire; Lowestoft South Claremont in Suffolk; Martello Bay at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, and Whitby in Yorkshire.

Keep Britain Tidy operations director Richard McIlwain said: "It is fantastic news for everyone who loves visiting the seaside that so many beaches' places will be flying a flag that guarantees the public the best facilities and the cleanest beaches this summer."

He continued: "We campaign to improve the quality of our local environment and we know that communities up and down the country love their beaches and understand what an asset they are for their towns' economies.

"We also know that cleaner beaches can be a focal point for stronger communities. Holidaymakers and daytrippers want to visit clean, safe beaches and the sight of the Blue Flag or Seaside Award flying gives them the reassurance that they will."

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55 beaches meet tough new standards

Parking fees possible for those accessing NorCal coast beaches

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SANTA CRUZ (AP) Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where its customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

That sandy line that long defined the states disparate beach culture may soon fade.

In search of new revenue, the state parks system is eyeing parking fees for parts of the Northern California shoreline where none existed or considering hiking rates to visit popular beaches south of Los Angeles during peak periods.

The need to raise money is facing resistance from state coastal regulators worried about eroding beach access and from environmentalists, who, while sympathetic to state parks plight, say its akin to monetizing the coast. And with beach season just weeks away, the issue is heating up.

Out of Californias 1,100 miles of beach, a third is controlled by the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials say theyre under legislative orders to seek new sources of revenue and that a revamp of the parking payment structure is necessary to keep beaches open and to fund deferred maintenance.

During a legislative hearing in February, state parks director Anthony Jackson said Southern California beaches are operating in the black and are partly subsidizing less profitable state beaches.

The agency is taking a hard look at adjusting fees where appropriate and necessary and in places where fees may not have been historically collected, said the ex-Marine who was hired to turn around the department after a financial mismanagement scandal.

Some local officials, state lawmakers and coastal commissioners have questioned whether the money would be used for its intended purpose.

Earlier this year, a proposal to charge more during certain holidays at several Orange County and San Diego County beaches was yanked from the California Coastal Commissions agenda as the two sides worked behind-the-scenes to hammer out a deal.

Even before state parks sought to squeeze more out of revenue-generating beaches, it looked northward where excursions to the Pacific traditionally have been free. Save for a few lots that charge, the rugged Sonoma coast north of San Francisco has long been a spot where visitors pull over on the highway to dip in the ocean.

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Parking fees possible for those accessing NorCal coast beaches

Dirty beaches make sick oceans, says group

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WASHINGTON Its a beach bummer. Shorelines worldwide are clogged with trash, so much so that during their annual cleanup last year, volunteers with the Ocean Conservancy picked up refuse that weighed as much as 10 Boeing 747 jumbo jets.

Cigarettes, food packaging and plastic bottles topped the list from the 2012 cleanup. Debris from the Japanese tsunami and Hurricane Sandy also marred some U.S. beaches, the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit group that works on ocean protection, reported Monday. Volunteers turned up some weird stuff, too: mattresses, candles, toothbrushes and sports balls.

More than 550,000 people picked up in excess of 10 million pounds of trash along 17,719 miles of international coastlines in September during the Ocean Conservancys annual cleanup. Billed as the largest ocean-related volunteer effort in the world, the event spotlights just what sort of ocean trash washes up on beaches around the world and what can be done to scale back the refuse.

Every piece of trash affects the health of the ocean and as a result the economy, the environment and animal health, said Nicholas Mallos, Ocean Conservancys marine-debris specialist and a conservation biologist. Plastic debris has two risks, he said. Theres an entrapment or strangulation risk to wildlife. But the longer plastics are in the ocean, the more likely they are to absorb other toxins, too.

Plastics leach chemicals into the environment, but plastics also absorb chemicals from the environment, he said. And certainly when animals fish or other marine organisms ingest those plastics, theres some accumulation of those toxins in their systems and as they move up the food chain.

Theres also a real cleanup cost to coastal communities. In tourism-dependent beachfront destinations such as Myrtle Beach, S.C., having a pristine appearance is crucial to attracting visitors. In the summer, the city mushrooms from 27,000 year-round residents to the biggest city in South Carolina. And Myrtle Beach spends about $1.1 million annually on trash pickup.

Beaches in places like Alaska, with more than 44,000 miles of coastline, much of it remote, face a separate challenge. Currents and winter storms bring significant debris to the state each year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. There, the problem is more likely to be abandoned fishing equipment.

Its not enough just to pick up the trash, Mallos said. The Ocean Conservancy would like people to focus next on producing less waste before it makes its way into the oceans. That means taking simple steps such as avoiding single-use products and embracing reusable water bottles, coffee mugs and grocery bags.

By getting out there and removing everyday forms of trash from our beaches, and really systematically re-evaluating our daily lives and the choices we make, Mallos said, we can keep trash from the beaches and ensure that in the face of future natural disasters, we have a more resilient ocean ecosystem.

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Dirty beaches make sick oceans, says group

State eyes parking fees at Northern California beaches

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LOS ANGELES -- Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it's customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

That sandy line that long defined the state's disparate beach culture may soon fade.

In search of new revenue, the state parks system is eyeing parking fees for parts of the Northern California shoreline where none existed or considering hiking rates to visit popular beaches south of Los Angeles during peak periods.

The need to raise money is facing resistance from state coastal regulators concerned about eroding beach access and from environmentalists,

Nate Anderson, left, and Will Dorsch, both of Palo Alto, play football at Twin Lakes State Beach in Santa Cruz Saturday Jan. 14, 2012. (Photo by Patrick Tehan/Staff) (Patrick Tehan)

Out of California's 1,100 miles of beach, a third is controlled by the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials say they're under legislative orders to seek new sources of revenue and that a revamp of the parking payment structure is necessary to keep beaches open and to fund deferred maintenance.

During a legislative hearing in February, state parks director Anthony Jackson said Southern California beaches are operating in the black and are partly subsidizing less profitable state beaches.

The agency is taking a hard look at "adjusting fees where appropriate and necessary and in places where fees may not

Some local officials, state lawmakers and coastal commissioners have questioned whether the money would be used for its intended purpose.

Earlier this year, a proposal to charge more during certain holidays at several Orange County and San Diego County beaches was yanked from the California Coastal Commission's agenda as the two sides worked behind-the-scenes to hammer out a deal.

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State eyes parking fees at Northern California beaches

Campaign to protect NZ's beaches

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Protecting the country's beaches is the aim of a campaign being launched by the Greens today.

The aim is to stop risky deep sea drilling and it's being supported by surfing champion Mischa Davis and rowing champ Rob Hamill.

A tender process for new permits to conduct exploratory deep sea drilling in waters off the west coast of Auckland kicks off this week.

Greens co-leader Metiria Turei wants people to sign up to what she's calling a Kiwi Bid, a petition that will be presented to the Government calling on it to protect the beaches, not exploit them.

"New Zealanders come out every year strongly in defense of their beaches from pollution and damage. And we love our beaches, they're part of our national identity.

"So we're asking people to again stand up for this heritage."

Ms Turei says you only need to see the damage caused by the Rena wreck to know why action is needed to stop the plans.

"Exploration wells are more dangerous than productive wells actually, because they don't know what the pressure is like, they don't know what they're digging into.

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Campaign to protect NZ's beaches

Proposal to charge for parking at some California state beaches riles environmental groups

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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it's customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

That sandy line that long defined the state's disparate beach culture may soon fade.

In search of new revenue, the state parks system is eyeing parking fees for parts of the Northern California shoreline where none existed or considering hiking rates to visit popular beaches south of Los Angeles during peak periods.

The need to raise money is facing resistance from state coastal regulators concerned about eroding beach access and from environmentalists, who say it's akin to monetizing the coast. And with beach season just weeks away, the issue is heating up.

Out of California's 1,100 miles of beach, a third is controlled by the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials say they're under legislative orders to seek new sources of revenue and that a revamp of the parking payment structure is necessary to keep beaches open and to fund deferred maintenance.

During a legislative hearing in February, state parks director Anthony Jackson said Southern California beaches are operating in the black and are partly subsidizing less profitable state beaches.

The agency is taking a hard look at "adjusting fees where appropriate and necessary and in places where fees may not have been historically collected," said the ex-Marine who was hired to turn around the department after a financial mismanagement scandal.

Some local officials, state lawmakers and coastal commissioners have questioned whether the money would be used for its intended purpose.

Earlier this year, a proposal to charge more during certain holidays at several Orange County and San Diego County beaches was yanked from the California Coastal Commission's agenda as the two sides worked behind-the-scenes to hammer out a deal.

Even before state parks sought to squeeze more out of revenue-generating beaches, it looked northward where excursions to the Pacific traditionally have been free. Save for a few lots that charge, the rugged Sonoma coast north of San Francisco has long been a spot where visitors pull over on the highway to dip in the ocean.

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Proposal to charge for parking at some California state beaches riles environmental groups

Parking fees at California state beaches heat up

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it's customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

That sandy line that long defined the state's disparate beach culture may soon fade.

In search of new revenue, the state parks system is eyeing parking fees for parts of the Northern California shoreline where none existed or considering hiking rates to visit popular beaches south of Los Angeles during peak periods.

The need to raise money is facing resistance from state coastal regulators concerned about eroding beach access and from environmentalists, who say it's akin to monetizing the coast. And with beach season just weeks away, the issue is heating up.

Out of California's 1,100 miles of beach, a third is controlled by the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials say they're under legislative orders to seek new sources of revenue and that a revamp of the parking payment structure is necessary to keep beaches open and to fund deferred maintenance.

During a legislative hearing in February, state parks director Anthony Jackson said Southern California beaches are operating in the black and are partly subsidizing less profitable state beaches.

The agency is taking a hard look at "adjusting fees where appropriate and necessary and in places where fees may not have been historically collected," said the ex-Marine who was hired to turn around the department after a financial mismanagement scandal.

Some local officials, state lawmakers and coastal commissioners have questioned whether the money would be used for its intended purpose.

Earlier this year, a proposal to charge more during certain holidays at several Orange County and San Diego County beaches was yanked from the California Coastal Commission's agenda as the two sides worked behind-the-scenes to hammer out a deal.

Even before state parks sought to squeeze more out of revenue-generating beaches, it looked northward where excursions to the Pacific traditionally have been free. Save for a few lots that charge, the rugged Sonoma coast north of San Francisco has long been a spot where visitors pull over on the highway to dip in the ocean.

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Parking fees at California state beaches heat up

Parking fees fight at Calif. state beaches heat up

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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sunbathers flocking to Southern California beaches are used to feeding the meter or paying a parking attendant. Not so along the less developed north coast where it's customary to ditch cars on the shoulder of Highway 1 to surf, swim or picnic.

That sandy line that long defined the state's disparate beach culture may soon fade.

In search of new revenue, the state parks system is eyeing parking fees for parts of the Northern California shoreline where none existed or considering hiking rates to visit popular beaches south of Los Angeles during peak periods.

The need to raise money is facing resistance from state coastal regulators worried about eroding beach access and from environmentalists, who, while sympathetic to state parks' plight, say it's akin to monetizing the coast. And with beach season just weeks away, the issue is heating up.

Out of California's 1,100 miles of beach, a third is controlled by the state Department of Parks and Recreation. Officials say they're under legislative orders to seek new sources of revenue and that a revamp of the parking payment structure is necessary to keep beaches open and to fund deferred maintenance.

During a legislative hearing in February, state parks director Anthony Jackson said Southern California beaches are operating in the black and are partly subsidizing less profitable state beaches.

The agency is taking a hard look at "adjusting fees where appropriate and necessary and in places where fees may not have been historically collected," said the ex-Marine who was hired to turn around the department after a financial mismanagement scandal.

Some local officials, state lawmakers and coastal commissioners have questioned whether the money would be used for its intended purpose.

Earlier this year, a proposal to charge more during certain holidays at several Orange County and San Diego County beaches was yanked from the California Coastal Commission's agenda as the two sides worked behind-the-scenes to hammer out a deal.

Even before state parks sought to squeeze more out of revenue-generating beaches, it looked northward where excursions to the Pacific traditionally have been free. Save for a few lots that charge, the rugged Sonoma coast north of San Francisco has long been a spot where visitors pull over on the highway to dip in the ocean.

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Parking fees fight at Calif. state beaches heat up


  1. Beaches