An Update About Kelp on Overstrand Beaches

The Overstrand Municipality often receives requests from the community for the removal of kelp (or seaweed) from its beaches. More so for beaches in Sandbaai, Onrus (Haarderbaai), Vermont’s Brêkfis Bay and Jock’s Bay in Betty’s Bay.

There Is More To Kelp Than Meets The Eye  

Once washed out onto the shore, many people consider kelp to be unsightly ocean refuse that is smelly, slimy and rotting plant matter that attracts swarms of flies.

However, whether we like it or not, kelp plays an important role in our coastal ecosystem. The decision to remove it from our beaches to provide beach-goers with a pristine beach setting is a really difficult one. While the municipality does remove kelp from certain swimming beaches across the Overstrand, they do try and limit the beach areas where kelp is removed so as not to cause long-term negative effects.

Did You Know That Kelp Is Protected By The Law?

The ‘Swimming Beach Cleaning Policy’ states:

• Kelp can only be removed by those who have a permit issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE)
• Kelp can only be removed from areas demarcated as specific kelp cleaning areas
• Kelp can only be placed at deposit sites in front of the fore-dune

The Importance Of Washed Out Kelp On Overstrand Beaches

• Kelp plays a major role in keeping sand on beaches. It does this by trapping wind-blown sand, and protecting beaches from wind and wave erosion, especially during storm surges. The result is stable, wider beaches with the deeper beach sand enjoyed by beachgoers

• Kelp affects the formation of dunes and the variety of plants that grow on them as well as influencing the types and numbers of bird species on the beach

• Kelp helps create the perfect symbiosis on beaches and without it, many other species will vanish. When you remove one part of the chain, it will have a profound effect on many other things

• Kelp forms a link between marine and terrestrial life because it attracts and shelters a range of micro and macro-organisms, which contribute to its decomposition. These tiny creatures attract bird species to our beaches, as well as provide prey to various other species.

Kelp’s Role From Ocean To Shore

While kelp grows in the sea, kelp forests provide a finely tuned environment for many sea creatures. The relationship starts between kelp and sea urchins, crabs and fish, which in turn attract otters, seals and sea birds.

All in all, by keeping kelp on our beaches, we assist in transferring the flow of energy from marine ecosystems onto the land, making food available to various species, which rely on it for their existence. In the long run, as custodians of our planet, we should remain considerate of its natural processes and always keep its reasoning in mind before we attempt to interfere too much.