Surfers want to avoid this scenario at all costs. Photo: Oceana
The Norwegian oil giant Equinor must be sick to its gunnels of surfers. Its desire to drill for new oil and gas fields has seen ocean lovers stand up (and paddle out) in protest all over the world. After the successful Fight For the Bite protest in Australia, the latest battleground is in Scottish waters in the North Sea.
The Fight For the Bite was a protest spearheaded by surfers that eventually led to the stopping of exploratory drilling for gas and oil in the pristine Southern Ocean. Dubbed Australia’s largest environmental campaign, it involved more than 10,000 people in paddle outs and saw former pro surfer Heath Joske traveling to Oslo to address the Equinor shareholder AGM.
Despite government backing, the weight of opposition meant Equinor was forced to walk away from the project in 2021. Now, in the opposite quadrant of the world, they are facing similar opposition in the North Sea.
We covered in August last year how the then UK government under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had promised to “max out” the North Seas oil and gas fields by granting over 100 drilling licenses. Equinor was granted the license to Rosebank, the North Sea’s biggest underdeveloped oil and gas field that was projected to provide 500 million barrels of oil over its lifetime.
That field is located to the north of Scotland, just 85 miles to the west of the Shetland Islands and less than 200 miles from the UK’s premier surf spot of Thurso. It is a stunning, biodiverse, and important marine and coastal environment (with some epic waves), and the project has faced huge protests, again with surfers at the forefront.
Oceana UK, whose Executive Director and Vice President is the activist and surfer Hugo Tagholm, launched a high-court legal challenge in May, 2024. They say the decision to grant 31 licenses was unlawful because it failed to consider the extreme impact of oil spills on marine life, as well as on several other grounds.
“These licenses were issued with a shocking disregard for expert advice, as well as our seas, climate and future,” said Oceana. “By calling time once and for all on these licenses and the destruction and degradation caused by Big Oil running roughshod over our ocean, the overall goal is to protect..and stabilize our climate. We must end drilling for oil and gas.” They say the key to lower bills and improving energy security is through a transition to renewables, which also provides low-cost energy and long-term jobs.
This week the challenge had its first significant win when the newly elected UK Labor government opted not to defend the license decision, something Sunak vowed to do. It’s not definitive but gives the legal challenge an early boost, and a much better chance of winning.
Hugo Tagholm, far right, and fellow protesters in London. Photo: Oceana
Equinor, together with Shell who own the Jackdaw oil field, said they were carefully considering the implications of the announcement by the government. Given the Rosebank field project alone is worth £4.5 billion, it is no surprise they are planning their next move very carefully.
Yet the licenses are still in operation. In this, it is like the Fight for the Bite in Oz. While Equinor and the Australian government have walked away from the project, the original licenses still exist. Any change in circumstances (say, a war that affects oil supplies) or government could see it revived. That’s why the Yirrkala Mirning Traditional Owners, Sea Shepherd and the Wilderness Society of South Australia are currently pushing for the whole area to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can sign the petition here, which would be the only way to ensure its long-term protection.
The Rosebank and Jackdaw fields are, however, a long, long way from that. The fight is in its very early stages. “Surfers need to use this knowledge to protect the environment for other people and future generations,” said Tagholm. “Few are better placed, but we need to act. I hear too many surfers talking about being in touch with the environment without doing anything to protect it.”
Go to Oceana.org for the latest developments and advice on the various ways to join the fight in the North Sea. The experience in Australia shows that through organized protest and pure numbers, surfers can help to stop unnecessary fossil-fuel developments.
