Richard Spoor Attorneys and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) acting on behalf of the Dwesa-Cwebe, Amadiba, and Port Saint Johns communities, as well as environmental organisations argued last week that the seismic surveying was devastating to the marine environment as well as harmful to communities’ rights and reliance on the sea for sustenance, income and cultural practices.
Shell warned during legal arguments that if the interim interdict was granted it might have to walk away from the entire operation, including the possibility of extracting any oil and gas which might have been found during the controversial seismic survey. It said its losses would amount to some R1 billion.
Shell and Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe were ordered to pay the legal costs of the application.
DispatchLIVE
JUST IN | Court orders Shell to halt Wild Coast seismic blasting
Image: REUTERS/ROGAN WARD
Shell will have to call a halt to its seismic survey along the ecologically sensitive Wild Coast after the high court in Makhanda today interdicted it from proceeding.
Judge Gerald Bloem on Tuesday morning interdicted Shell from continuing with the survey which kicked off on December 2.
Richard Spoor Attorneys and the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) acting on behalf of the Dwesa-Cwebe, Amadiba, and Port Saint Johns communities, as well as environmental organisations argued last week that the seismic surveying was devastating to the marine environment as well as harmful to communities’ rights and reliance on the sea for sustenance, income and cultural practices.
Shell warned during legal arguments that if the interim interdict was granted it might have to walk away from the entire operation, including the possibility of extracting any oil and gas which might have been found during the controversial seismic survey. It said its losses would amount to some R1 billion.
Shell and Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe were ordered to pay the legal costs of the application.
DispatchLIVE
South Africans have been up in arms over applications for offshore seismic exploration projects off the Eastern Cape, threatening to boycott at least one of the companies behind the project. While opposition to the exploration off the Wild Coast has been mounting, a French multinational has now also applied to explore the area from Gqeberha to Plettenberg Bay. But what exactly is offshore seismic exploration? And why has it got people so angry? In That Weekend Feeling with Daron Mann this week, we unpack offshore seismic exploration with Wildlife and Environment Society of SA (Wessa) Algoa Bay branch spokesperson Gary Koekemoer.
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