Hundreds of protesters gathered at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth on Saturday to demand action against sewage pollution in British waterways. Organized by the charity Surfers Against Sewage, similar protests took place at over 30 locations across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Demonstrators carried signs reading 'Cut the crap' and 'Fishes not faeces', and paddled into the bay on surfboards, kayaks, and standup paddleboards. Speakers highlighted the severity of the issue, with statistics showing there were more than 464,056 sewage spills in England's rivers and coastlines in 2023, a 54% increase on the previous year.
Lauren Holford, who attended with her partner and young son, expressed concern about frequent sewage alerts affecting their local swimming spots. Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, criticized water companies for failing to reduce pollution despite previous apologies, noting that pollution events increased last year.
The protests come amid recent incidents, including 46 confirmed cases of cryptosporidiosis in Brixham, Devon, and the release of 10 million litres of raw sewage into Windermere in Cumbria. Bristow called for a nature-led approach to solutions, including rewilding and rewooding, while noting that water companies paid £2.5bn in shareholder dividends over the past two years.
