Paddle protest at Appley tomorrow

A mother, whose child suffered gastroenteritis, after swimming off Ryde last summer, is organising a protest against the release of untreated sewage into the sea.

Ryde resident, Chani Kind, who has a degree in Marine Geography, says the incident tipped her from being a member of Surfers against Sewage, a charity that campaigns to protect the world’s oceans, to becoming one of the Island’s representatives for the organisation. She said: “With the Isle of Wight featuring in 12 out of UK’s worst 82 beaches for sewage discharge in 2022, and 27,349 hours of combined storm and sewage discharge around our coast from April 2022 to March this year, it is time for residents to take action. The longest duration discharges were for Sandown, Ryde and Cowes, with single spills going for over 320 hours at each site.”

Chani is also involved in Southern Water’s Pathfinder project, which is seeking ways to reduce storm water outflows, and uses the platform to ask challenging questions about local issues and promote transparency over the situation.

To highlight the issues, Chani has organised a paddle protest tomorrow (Saturday) at Apply Tower from midday. She said: “Please come along, bring placards or other fun props, surfboards, paddle boards, rafts or just be on the beach and perhaps dip your toes in the water. Anyone is welcome.”