Gower Gab: Sand Dredging

Sand dredging is one of the main environmental and political issues presently concerning Gower. This is a brief overview of what sand dredging entails, and the current opinions surrounding it.

Photo courtesy of Llanelli Sand Dredging

What is dredging?
Sand dredging has been occurring for many years down Gower and involves a process whereby dredging ships with suction pipes act similarly to vacuum cleaners in order to literally 'suck' the sand from the sand banks along the coast. After dredging from coastal regions such as Gower, the sand is sold onto the open market whereby 30% is shipped overseas to places such as The Netherlands, which forbid dredging from their own coastlines. Generally speaking, the greater the amount of sand extracted, the greater the profit for the dredging companies and their shareholders.
However while dredging exists, so too do the voices of opposition, and most recently over 30,000 people signed a petition calling for its reduction.

What is happening down Gower?
Dredging is occurring primarily at the Helwick Bank down Gower, which is a sand bank that was created during the ice-age and runs between Port Eynon and Worm's Head, off the coast of Rhossili. Since the dredging originated - in 1964 - there is now evidently far more rock exposed than there is sand, which is particularly present on beaches such as Port Eynon, however is also starting to become evident at other parts of the coastline such as at Langland Bay, and Swansea Bay. It is widely feared that once this sand disappears, it is unlikely to be replaced, yet while many accept that a certain amount of sand dredging is necessary, it is largely the amount that is being extracted that is causing controversy.

Implications:
Environmental:
Dredging undoubtedly results in the degradation of unique marine habitats, which directly affects the local marine life and indirectly affects the birds and other wildlife that rely on the natural and delicate infrastructure. A concise overview of some of the implications of sand dredging can be found here.
The extent of the dredging occurring has led to some environmentalists, such as Dr Neil Price from Cardiff University, referring to the actions as "gross environmental vandalism."
(Full interview with Dr. Price can be found elsewhere on this site.)

What campaigners want:
Campaigners are calling for a ten mile commercial dredging exclusion zone around Gower's coastline. This has been proposed as organisations such as Gower SOS claim that Gower risks losing its "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" title unless immediate action is taken.
Furthermore, the possible impact of sand dredging on the tourist industry is proposed as sandy beaches such as Port Eynon - for which Gower is particularly famed - continue to evolve into rocky coastline. Various campaigners also state that there has been a rapid decline in tourist employment and activity since the 1980s, which they claim can be directly attributed to sand dredging.

The following is a video by Gower Save our Sands highlighting their cause: