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Cape Town - Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh on Wednesday completed a 560 kilometre swim along the length of the English Channel from Land's End to Dover.
The 48-year-old, who is estimated to have made more than 500 000 strokes across 49 days, was accompanied to the finish line on Shakespeare Beach by dozens of supporters from a local swimming club.
"We really need to take the health of our oceans very very seriously," he told the welcoming crowd.
I’ve just swum the full length of the English Channel. This is my message. Please share. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/JE9Tvn9iNw
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
I urge the UK Government to properly protect its waters. Currently, only 7 square kms out of 750,000 is fully protected.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
In the rest of our waters, we have shipping, oil and gas drilling, gunnery exercises, industrial fishing and aggregate removal.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
Scientists are clear that we need to be protecting at least 30% of our oceans by 2030 if they are going to be able to stand a chance of recovery and be sustainable.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
During this swim, I’ve seen virtually no wildlife – aside from a few birds, a few dolphins and one turtle. It shows that our oceans have been very badly over-fished.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
I have also seen plastic on every beach from Land's End to Dover. We have taken the fish out of the ocean and replaced them with plastic.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
The British government now has to lead. We need urgent action. Our oceans are not a side issue. If we don’t act now, we will see the collapse these ecosystems, they will not be able to recover.
— Lewis Pugh (@LewisPugh) August 29, 2018
