Locals attend Broad Haven for Surfers Against Sewage protest
The Surfers Against Sewage protest in Pembrokeshire was one of more than 40 held across the country, calling for total reform of the water industry in England and Wales, and clearer monitoring and transparency of the sewage crisis.
The message from protestors was clear. (Image: Jake Aldred) CEO at Surfers Against Sewage, Giles Bristow, said: 'Another year, another summer of swimming and surfing in sewage while our shameless water companies laugh all the way to the bank.
The protest was one of over 40 held across the country. (Image: Jake Aldred) 'Our failing water industry has been trumpeting billions in investment to clean up their act, but we know that these fat cat bosses can't be trusted to keep their promises.
Locals want their sea to be sewage free. (Image: Jake Aldred) 'The proof is in the missed targets, shocking statistics and devastating stories of sickness we continue to see year after year.'
Data shows that less than one in five UK adults (19%) believe they will be able to swim safely at their local spot by 2030. (Image: Jake Aldred) New polling data shows that less than one in five UK adults (19%) believe they will be able to swim safely at their local spot by 2030 without risking their health due to sewage pollution.
'You are connected to the sea.' (Image: Jake Aldred) More than half (54%) worry they will get sick if they swim in the UK's rivers, lakes and seas.
More than half (54%) worry they will get sick if they swim in seas. (Image: Jake Aldred) Meanwhile, more than a third (37%) believe the actions of their water supplier has negatively impacted their local community and less than a third (32%) trust the government to ensure water suppliers will reduce sewage spills.
More than a third (37%) believe the actions of their water supplier has negatively impacted their local community. (Image: Jake Aldred) Giles added: 'We've had enough of their lies, greed and incompetence and know that this nightmare will not end until the whole water system is radically reformed.
'Stop pumping our dumping.' (Image: Jake Aldred) 'The thousands paddling out across the UK are letting the water companies, government and Independent Water Commission know, loud and clear, that we will not accept another year of risking our health to swim in the sea.
'Water slaughter.' (Image: Jake Aldred) 'People should be free to use the water without fear of getting sick, and that's why we developed the Safer Seas & Rivers Service, a free app that provides real-time pollution alerts, giving peace of mind for those worried about sewage pollution."
Less than a third (32%) trust the government to ensure water suppliers will reduce sewage spills. (Image: Jake Aldred) Surfers Against Sewage is calling for ambitious and radical reform of the water industry in England and Wales, which puts the environment and public health ahead of profit, ending sewage pollution for good.
Dŵr Cymru say they are investing heavily to help improve water quality in our rivers and seas.
Jenny Grubb, Environment Advisor and Stakeholder Manager for Dŵr Cymru recently said: 'Welsh Water is investing £2.5bn over the next five years on projects to improve the environment.
"Action from one sector won't be enough to improve our rivers, and the solutions we propose must be future proof and climate resilient.
"We are keen to find partnership projects and to work with organisations that are delivering environmental improvements.
"We hope that our investment will be boosted by working with others to ensure that river water quality continues to improve to the standard that we all want to see.'
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Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Scotsman
Campaigners in Queensferry to protest against plastic pollution ahead of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations
Campaigners and the community in South Queensferry are rallying in a National Day of Action against plastic pollution this Saturday, 19 July. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The Surfers Against Sewage 'The People vs Plastic' campaign will see protestors descend on the UK's beaches, city streets and everywhere in between to send a clear message: the government must act decisively to tackle plastic pollution at its source, to position the UK as a global leader in the fight against single-use plastics. The campaign aims to ramp up the pressure on Government ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, reconvening in Geneva from 5-14 August. Earlier talks collapsed in South Korea, last year, with countries failing to agree on reducing plastic production. Campaigners say that a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty is urgently needed to cut pollution at its source and protect blue spaces. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ahead of the National Day of Action, communities from coast to city will host grassroots events, from 'Trash Mobs' in local schools to community-led cleans, building momentum for the nationwide protest. Data will be collected during the community cleans, which will help Surfers Against Sewage map the true scale of plastic pollution, and name the brands and retailers most to blame. Your World The public can get involved by heading to the Surfers Against Sewage website to find a local protest to join or show support during the Week of Action by getting involved with a local Plastic Free Community close to home. Communities and schools are at the forefront of Surfers Against Sewage's campaign against plastic, with over 400 active Plastic Free Communities and over 3,000 Plastic Free Schools leading the way in the fight against plastic in their local area. So far in 2025, over 88,000 people have taken part in over 3,600 local cleans, collecting over 40,000kg of rubbish, as part of the charity's Million Mile Clean initiative. Plastic Free Queensferry is organising a protest in on the beach in Queensferry. They said: We are going to send a clear message ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty talks that we want to see an end to plastic pollution. We will be spelling out a human message with all of our volunteers to #EndPlasticPollution. Following that we are joining with other community groups, such as Clean Ferry and Dalmeny & Queensferry Parish Church EcoCongregation to carry out a beach clean, litter pick and brand audit around Queensferry. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Surfers Against Sewage is calling on the UK Government to deliver on the goals of the Global Plastics Treaty immediately through joined up and ambitious national plans to end plastic pollution, including: Setting legally-binding targets to cut plastic pollution Implementing an effective circular economy centred on reuse and refill, including the implementation of a comprehensive Deposit Return Scheme and introduction of binding reuse targets Holding polluters to account by enforcing current laws and delivering Extended Producer Responsibility schemes that make polluters pay. Giles Bristow, Chief Executive at Surfers Against Sewage said: 'Broken promises, stalled progress, surging pollution. We are drowning in the toxic tide of plastic that continues to rise. Enough is enough, so we are rising up too. As families pack their buckets and spades and the summer holidays begin, there's no better time to shine a light on the plastics choking our shores. The UK remains one of the worst offenders for generating single-use waste that travels the globe, and our government is still dawdling on action. 'We're sick to death of plastic-pushing corporations fuelling this crisis while spinning greenwashing lies and pointing the finger at consumers. They churn out mountains of non-recyclable packaging, sabotage vital policies behind closed doors, and consistently miss every voluntary target. The Labour government pledged us a zero-waste future, we're all ears, but we won't settle for anything less. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That's why, on Saturday 19 July, as the school holidays get underway, we're calling on Ocean Activists from Penzance to Porthcawl and everywhere in between to make their voices heard. Whether you're clearing your favourite beach or marching through city streets, communities hold the power to drive change. With Global Plastics Treaty negotiations just around the corner, we must turn up the heat. Together, we can become a force impossible for leaders, and polluters, to ignore.' Protest locations and National Week of Action information can be found on the Surfers Against Sewage website. Following the protest, the charity is encouraging people to sign a petition to put pressure on the Government to tackle the problem. For more information, visit the campaign page here.
Scotsman
16-07-2025
- Scotsman
Campaigners in Queensferry to protest against plastic pollution ahead of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations
Communities up and down the country will unite on Saturday 19 July to take a stand against the Government's inaction on plastic pollution •Protests and beach cleans will be taking place across the country as part of a National Day of Action Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Campaigners and the community in South Queensferry are rallying in a National Day of Action against plastic pollution this Saturday, 19 July. The Surfers Against Sewage 'The People vs Plastic' campaign will see protestors descend on the UK's beaches, city streets and everywhere in between to send a clear message: the government must act decisively to tackle plastic pollution at its source, to position the UK as a global leader in the fight against single-use plastics. The campaign aims to ramp up the pressure on Government ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, reconvening in Geneva from 5-14 August. Earlier talks collapsed in South Korea, last year, with countries failing to agree on reducing plastic production. Campaigners say that a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty is urgently needed to cut pollution at its source and protect blue spaces. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ahead of the National Day of Action, communities from coast to city will host grassroots events, from 'Trash Mobs' in local schools to community-led cleans, building momentum for the nationwide protest. Data will be collected during the community cleans, which will help Surfers Against Sewage map the true scale of plastic pollution, and name the brands and retailers most to blame. Your World The public can get involved by heading to the Surfers Against Sewage website to find a local protest to join or show support during the Week of Action by getting involved with a local Plastic Free Community close to home. Communities and schools are at the forefront of Surfers Against Sewage's campaign against plastic, with over 400 active Plastic Free Communities and over 3,000 Plastic Free Schools leading the way in the fight against plastic in their local area. So far in 2025, over 88,000 people have taken part in over 3,600 local cleans, collecting over 40,000kg of rubbish, as part of the charity's Million Mile Clean initiative. Plastic Free Queensferry is organising a protest in on the beach in Queensferry. They said: We are going to send a clear message ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty talks that we want to see an end to plastic pollution. We will be spelling out a human message with all of our volunteers to #EndPlasticPollution. Following that we are joining with other community groups, such as Clean Ferry and Dalmeny & Queensferry Parish Church EcoCongregation to carry out a beach clean, litter pick and brand audit around Queensferry. 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Whether you're clearing your favourite beach or marching through city streets, communities hold the power to drive change. With Global Plastics Treaty negotiations just around the corner, we must turn up the heat. Together, we can become a force impossible for leaders, and polluters, to ignore.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Wales Online
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- Wales Online
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