Paper short abstract:

Through a case study dealing with the protest over the possible effects of environmental change caused by the development of a yachting marina, this paper outlines the ways in which attempts are made to safeguard the ecological sustainability of the sea and the surfing conditions created by sandbars

Paper long abstract:

On the whole, surfbreaks are not adequately recognised as a valuable resource and thus in and of themselves do not feature in terms of regional by-laws or national coastal policies. The rights that many people take for granted in accessing surfbreaks may be diminished in the future, especially in prime spots where competing interests for other resources such as seabed minerals are prominent. The impacts caused by many large scale coastal engineering schemes are irreversible. Others, like deteriorating water quality, take years to become noticeable and many more to be overcome. This paper provides an ethnographic comparison between the distinct surf cultures of New Zealand and Cornwall UK. Through the lens of a case study dealing with the organised protest over the possible effects of environmental change caused by the development of a yachting marina in Whangamata, the paper outlines the ways in which certain environmental pressure groups, such as Surfbreak Protection Society (SPS), have sought to safeguard both the ecological sustainability of the marine environment as well as the surfing conditions created by naturally occurring sandbars. Conceptually, the paper illustrates the ways in which shifting and unstable seascape features such as sandbars are nevertheless able to anchor certain beliefs, values, social relations and forms of civil unrest.