Sewage Protest Planned at Broad Haven as Campaigners Question Pollution in Protected Marine Waters

Local residents, surfers, swimmers and environmental supporters will gather at Broad Haven Beach on Saturday 16 May at 1:30pm for a Surfers Against Sewage protest calling for urgent action on sewage pollution along the Pembrokeshire coastline.

The demonstration comes amid growing public concern over repeated sewage discharges throughout the year into waters used daily by local communities, visitors, and marine wildlife.

Broad Haven sits within the wider protected ecosystem of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation, an internationally significant marine conservation area recognised for its unique biodiversity, habitats and wildlife.

Campaigners say the protest raises an increasingly difficult question:

“If these waters are legally protected for nature conservation, why is sewage pollution still being allowed?”

Environmental campaigners are increasingly questioning whether repeated sewage discharges into protected marine conservation waters are compatible with UK environmental law, such as the UK Marine Strategy, conservation duties including marine licensing, and bathing water protections.

The waters surrounding Pembrokeshire include nationally and internationally protected habitats that support seabirds, marine life, intertidal ecosystems and fragile coastal habitats that should be safeguarded for future generations.

Organisers say the issue is no longer just about surfers.

“This is about everyone,” a spokesperson said. “Children swim here. Families spend time here. People paddleboard, kayak and surf here all year round. Wildlife depends on these waters, and local businesses rely on a clean coastline.”

“People should not have to check sewage alerts before entering the sea.”

Campaigners argue that many members of the public mistakenly believe protected marine status automatically guarantees clean water, when in reality discharges and pollution incidents continue around coastlines across the UK.

They say decades of underinvestment in sewage infrastructure have left coastal communities and marine environments paying the price and it has left us wondering if this is actually fraud and negligence.

The protest is calling on:

• Welsh Government
• Natural Resources Wales
• Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water
• Local MPs and Senedd Members

to commit to:

• Ending routine sewage discharges into bathing waters.
• Greater transparency and real-time reporting.
• Faster investment in sewage infrastructure.
• Stronger legal protection for marine conservation areas.
• Clear public accountability over pollution incidents.

Organisers describe the protest as a peaceful demonstration intended to unite the community around the protection of Pembrokeshire’s coastline.

“This coastline is part of our identity,” organisers said. “People care deeply about these waters and want future generations to inherit a healthy marine environment.”

They hope the protest will help spark wider national discussion around sewage pollution and environmental protection in Wales.

“If protected waters cannot be protected from sewage pollution, then what exactly does protection mean?”