Save the Mary River turtle petition-pls read!

[peterescue]

I just changed this to sticky so its at the top of the General Herps forum page for ease of bumping.

[cris]

I just changed this to sticky so its at the top of the General Herps forum page for ease of bumping.

is it possible to make it sticky on the home page and/or scrolling thing?

And remember a vote for beatie makes you turtle killing scum, just like him.

Also would it be at all possible to get some TV ad against the dam that points out what it will kill, turtles, cod, lungfish etc. Im sure it could be done politicians will always help if you are trying to attack their enemy.
If political help cant be obtained an ad on Bris 31 couldnt cost too much.

[expansa1]

Originally Posted by cris

is it possible to make it sticky on the home page and/or scrolling thing?

And remember a vote for beatie makes you turtle killing scum, just like him.

Also would it be at all possible to get some TV ad against the dam that points out what it will kill, turtles, cod, lungfish etc. Im sure it could be done politicians will always help if you are trying to attack their enemy.
If political help cant be obtained an ad on Bris 31 couldnt cost too much.

Hi Cris, we (AFTCRA Inc) have been asked to be guest speakers at an anti-Beattie/mega-dam rally in Brisvegas, that should get plenty of media coverage, to talk on the Mary River turtle and it's possible pending extinction. They have estimated that there may be up to 10,000 people there!

My first reaction was, 10,000 people-you've got to be kidding!

Regards,

Craig

[expansa1]

There will also be some T-shirts coming out shortly to help raise money for a thorough turtle survey of the dam impoundment area and further upstream! They have a drawing of Travis the Mary River turtle on them saying" Travis says, A Dammed River is a River Dammed"

Please have a look at the message below from Arkin Mackay! The website show graphic photo's of the Burnett River 'Paradise Dam' that Premier Beattie says will be the model for the Mary River mega-dam. The Paradise dam photo's show the Lungfish lift not working, the damage to the environment and the dam drying up!
Regards,
Craig

"Hi all,

Paradise Dam, near Bundaberg, Qld [on the river previously known as the Burnett] is in trouble... environmentally, economically, and politically.

Ian and I went up there last weekend for a more thorough look around. www.stoppress.com.au has Ian's story of the trip and loads more photos - including some up close of the 'fish elevator'.

The elevator didn't appear to be running during our visit, despite Beattie starting in parliament (June 06) that it has been successfully operational for several months.

Beattie claims Paradise Dam is raising the bar on environmental standards... and that it is a success on which to base Traveston Dam on the Mary River.

I say it's yet another failure in a raft of water mis-managements, but see for yourself at www.stoppress.com.au .

Paradise Dam was a Labour election promise from last time round... Traveston Dam is their bright idea for this one.

Paradise Dam impounds one of only 2 rivers on the planet which is natural habitat for the endangered Queensland Lungfish, Traveston Dam will impound the other.

I urge you to use the coming election to act wisely. Elect the people willing to create sensible water strategies that suit this century and this climate. NO MORE DAMS.

Please forward the link to this site on to as many people as you can. Pictures tell a thousand words, and it's plain to see our dams aren't working.

Cheers,
Arkin Mackay"

[expansa1]

Hello again,
below is a press release re the failure of the Paradise dam turtle hatchery to produce any hatchlings, with Premier Beattie granting an additional $50,000 for 5 years for the Southern Snapping turtle. What's the point if they can't breed there themselves or the environment can't sustain them? What happens after the funding stops?

Regards,

Craig


Dam the Mary River? Save the Mary River!

MEDIA RELEASE August 14 2006

Save the Mary River Coordinating Group
Support and Information Centre, Kandanga Railway, Ph: 5488 4800
http://www.savethemaryriver.com/ savethemaryriver@gmail.com

Paradise dam not Paradise

The Beattie Government announced yesterday that it will provide an additional $50 000 a year for the next five years for the Southern Snapping Turtle (Elseya albagula) turtle hatchery at the Paradise Dam on the Burnett River, Bundaberg. The Government has announced previously that the turtle stocks of the Mary River, threatened by the proposed Traveston Dam, will be sustained by a similar turtle hatchery.

What the Premier has not disclosed to the public is the failure of the Paradise Dam hatchery to produce hatchlings. To-date no turtle hatchlings have been born as a result of wild-caught females nesting in the man-made ponds and sand banks of the Paradise Dam hatchery. The hatchery was only completed earlier this year and its success at producing turtles for release is yet to be determined. Five years worth of funding is insignificant in terms of the 20 year generational cycle of the turtle in proving whether this approach will work.

Hatchery success is not just about releasing turtles into the wild. For a hatchery program to work effectively there must be suitable riverine habitat to release hatchlings into. With the building of dams comes a permanent change in the turtle’s habitat through fluctuations in water levels and water flows both in the ponded area of the dam and downstream areas. The building of dam walls effectively divides the population, possibly causing a loss of diversity. Additionally, “traditional” nesting banks, correctly oxygenated water and food sources are destroyed.

How can this unproven technology be used to prevent the extinction of the Mary River Turtle (Elusor macrurus) if the Traveston Dam is built? The Mary River Turtle, listed under State, Federal and International legislation as endangered, is only found in the Mary River drainage. It is evolutionarily important as it represents a very old lineage of turtles that has all but disappeared from the evolutionary history of Australia. Also of interest is the fact that these two species, the Southern Snapping Turtle and the Mary River Turtle, are the only turtles in the world that are capable of cloacal breathing, making them even more vulnerable to the effects of the poor water quality in dams.

Peter Beattie’s hatchery experiments for turtles are yet to prove that he is not an environmental vandal. If the species can no longer breed in the wild because of the effects of the dam, then they will still not be breeding in 20 years. When funding runs out we are back to where we started. In other words, a hatchery program is nothing more than a temporary band aid solution.

Media contactsavid Kreutz
Kaili Parker-Price

[Zeus_the_beardie]

cmon people sign this important petition

[expansa1]

Yes thanks ZTB! it only takes about 30 seconds!! Mary River turtles are now Australia's most endangered turtle and in the top 25 most endangered in the world!
If you guys could see these turtles in real life you would see why I am lobbying so hard to save them. They are so intelligent, alert and gentle natured!

Expansa1

[Tatelina]

signed

[Zeus_the_beardie]

more people need to sign PLEASE

alos send emails to all ur friends about the petition if ur allready signed

ppl PLEAS!!!!!!!!!!
this is and amazing turtle, imagine if future generations cannot see this wonderful creature !!

[Zeus_the_beardie]

Cmon ppl, sign and forward it on to people. THINK OF THE TURTLE

[cyclamen]

signed...

[Zeus_the_beardie]

people please sign and forward an email of this to ur friends if you haven't allready.

Its for a great course (important)

[peterjohnson64]

PS, I have T Shirts and Fridge magnets for sale for AFTCRA in sydney.

BTW anyone wanna own an island??

[Zeus_the_beardie]

seriously among a herp community i wouldve expected the most signatures from here.

people we really need to address this situation

[Greebo]

Originally Posted by peterjohnson64

PS, I have T Shirts and Fridge magnets for sale for AFTCRA in sydney.

BTW anyone wanna own an island??

How much for a Tshirt?