South Africa's Constitutional Court ruled Friday that oil giant Shell cannot continue offshore exploration along the country's ecologically sensitive Wild Coast in Eastern Cape province, ending a yearslong legal battle.

Environmental activists and local communities approached the Makhanda High Court in 2021, arguing that Shell's seismic surveys threatened the marine environment and harmed communities that depend on the sea for their survival.

They also argued that the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Shell had failed to properly consult or inform affected communities about how the proposed seismic survey off the coast could affect them.

The High Court blocked Shell from conducting the seismic survey, but the company and the ministry appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which ruled in their favor.

However, seven of the nine Constitutional Court judges on Friday overturned the SCA's 2024 ruling.

"The order of the Supreme Court of Appeal is set aside," Constitutional Court Judge Jody Kollapen said in the judgment.

South Africa's Wild Coast stretches about 250 kilometers (155 miles) along the Eastern Cape shoreline, where local communities hold customary fishing rights and maintain cultural and spiritual practices tied to the sea.

As of early Friday afternoon, South Africa's Ministry of Mineral Resources and Shell had not issued a response to the ruling.