Film Puts Human Face To Saving The Murray
The South Australian Greens today took the campaign to save the Murray to the rest of Australia and to the world with the launch of the short film “High and Dry”. The film highlights the plight of the environmental disaster occurring in the lower lakes and Murray mouth. The film has now been launched online at YouTube and Google Video.
Lynton Vonow, SA Greens candidate for Mayo said: “This film sends a powerful message that something must be done urgently to save the Murray’s lower lakes and Coorong. It highlights the dying tortoises, the disintegration of the food chain and the social, financial and emotional effect on farming families from the lack of fresh water.
“The film features local residents, a farmer and the local children who regularly spend much of their spare time scraping off a tomb-like casing from the long and short necked tortoises. Only when they chip off all the worm castings, from around the leg and neck openings can the tortoise’s legs again kick freely.
“These castings are a death sentence for the tortoises - the casting is very heavy and sharp and if it covers the openings the tortoise cannot use all its legs then either falls victim to predators or simply drowns. These worm castings are a direct result of the salinity of the water.
“There are an estimated ten thousand tortoises in Lake Alexandrina alone. The local children have an uphill battle but have already saved many hundreds of tortoises by scraping off the casting, putting them in fresh water and also feeding them before releasing them upstream where the water is fresher,” he concluded.
The film also features Assoc Professor David Paton, who stresses the urgency of the crisis and need for water now and also Clayton residents who have witnessed first hand the deterioration of the river, particularly the stark reduction in bird life and loss of thousands of cockles that now litter the ground near their home. It also features the thousands who attended the August 10th Goolwa water rally and is a call to arms to all Australians to take action to save our Murray.
High and Dry can be seen through the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4A5PUUnr4L4
Or searching for “High and Dry” on YouTube or Google video.
For comment contact Lynton Vonow on 0427 975 047