ANTARCTICA KRILL-VACUUMING A MAJOR THREAT TO GLOBAL FOOD CHAIN, NORWEGIAN AKER BIOMARINE LEADS THE WAY

 Euphausia superba

 "Krill is said to be the largest biomass on the planet, 
outweighing the human population of the world."

 EMPEROR PENGUINS

 WEDDELL SEALS

 MYSTICETI, or BALEEN WHALES

 ANTARCTIC FOOD CHAIN

 NORWEGIAN KRILL POACHERS

 THORSHOVDI renamed ANTARCTIC SEA

 'ECO-HARVESTING' TECHNOLOGIES

 PILLS FOR 'HEALTH'-OBSESSED CONSUMERS

 PET FOOD MADE FROM ZOOPLANKTON

 VITAL NUTRIENTS FOR PENGUINS, SEALS & WHALES

 MARINE ECO-SYSTEMS

 AQUATIC FOOD-CHAIN NETWORK

 STARVING SEAL PUP

"I AM SO HUNGRY...WILL YOU PLEASE FIND ME SOME FOOD?"


"[A] growing number of scientists [are] concerned about the effects of a kind of gold rush, as fishing companies race to the Southern Ocean to catch krill..."

<sup>"Fishing companies won’t stop pillaging the Antarctic unless we show them that there’s no longer demand for these products."

'TEAM TRACKS A FOOD SUPPLY AT THE END OF THE WORLD'

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/science/tracking-antarctic-krill-as-more-is-harvested-for-omega-3-pills.html?_r=0</sup>

"One recent morning at the bottom of the world, Kim Bernard spotted two humpback whales gorging in the Southern Ocean not far offshore. Dr. Bernard, a biological oceanographer, was spending the austral summer at Palmer Station...her team, known at Palmer as 'The Psycho Krillers,' are studying the feeding patterns of Antarctic krill, the small, bug-eyed shrimp-like crustaceans that are the central diet for whales, penguins, seals and seabirds. 

She is one of a growing number of scientists concerned about the effects of a kind of gold rush, as fishing companies race to the Southern Ocean to catch krill and turn it into animal feed and lucrative omega-3 dietary supplements.

The former Soviet Union began fishing krill in the ocean in the 1960s, but it was not until the 1990s that Luc Rainville, a graduate student at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, discovered that the omega-3 fatty acids in Antarctic krill were readily absorbed by the human body.

New krill-harvesting technology introduced by Aker BioMarine of Norway, the largest krill fishing company in the South Atlantic, has made it economically feasible to send vessels to the punishingly icy waters at the bottom of the world. These factory ships continuously vacuum up krill (Aker calls it “eco-harvesting”) and process it immediately on the ship. Last year Aker, which started harvesting krill in 2006, bought a second factory ship.

Many major retailers, including CVS, Costco and Walmart, sell krill oil capsules along with other omega-3 supplements. Most come from krill oil processed by Aker BioMarine and its main rival, Neptune.

Whole Foods Market pulled krill oil from its shelves in May 2010, citing a decline in predatory sea animals — whales, penguins and seals — in areas where krill are fished.

But Aker has gained two important allies. Its krill oil was approved by the Marine Stewardship Council, a global program that issues labels certifying seafood products as sustainable, despite objections from some scientists and environmental organizations. And Aker has joined forces with WWF-Norway, an arm of the international environmental organization WWF, paying it an undisclosed amount to help Aker make its fishing practices more sustainable. Aker also provides data on krill populations to WWF-Norway and scientists studying krill and its predators."

^{http://action.sumofus.org/a/cvs-antarctic-krill/?sub=homepage}

^{CVS is supporting the plunder of Antarctica and one of the last unspoiled oceans on the planet.}

^{The pharmacy giant is marketing and selling Antarctic krill oil as a health supplement -- vacuuming krill in vast quantities from the Antarctic oceans and pumping them into pills. It’s putting the entire Antarctic ecosystem at risk, and we can stop it.}

^{Krill are tiny crustaceans (they look a lot like miniature shrimp), but they represent a giant link in the Antarctic food chain. A new SumOfUs report shows that krill numbers are crashing, endangering the survival of hundreds of marine creatures like whales, penguins and seals.}

^{The only way these companies will stop is if there’s no market for Antarctic wildlife on our shelves. That’s why we’re targeting CVS -- if we can get this major retailer to refuse to sell krill-killing supplements, we can stop fishing companies from destroying the Antarctic.}

^{CVS stocks krill-based products by MegaRed and other companies, as well as selling its own, home brand krill oil. CVS claims that their krill products are sustainable, but the claim doesn't stand up to scrutiny. In fact, only some of its krill products are certified. And leading environment groups including Greenpeace and Pew Environment Group have long objected to the certification of krill fishing. One of the more well-known certifications is by Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Pew has said: "The MSC's label falsely advertises the message that all krill are sustainably caught and that consuming krill-based omega 3 supplements or purchasing farmed salmon raised on krill meal is okay. Nothing could be further from the truth."}

^{The krill population is vital, but it’s depleting fast. Research shows krill populations have already dropped by 80 percent since the 1970s. What’s also shocking is that Antarctic penguin populations, which depend on krill for food, have collapsed by 50 percent in the last 30 years.}

^{Krill are on the front lines of climate change -- melting sea ice is destroying their habitat, and ocean acidification could further harm them. And at the same time, krill also play a key role in slowing global warming, as they transport carbon dioxide from the surface to the deep water.}

^{Yet krill fishing is a lucrative industry -- seafood companies use mammoth vessels equipped with new technology that literally vacuum the pristine Antarctic ocean, sucking up krill in massive volumes. It’s one of the last fish stocks that hasn’t been plundered to near extinction -- but it might not stay that way for long.}

^{But it doesn’t have to be like this -- we can eat and protect our health without it being so costly to the Earth. Omega-3 health supplements can be produced from plant-based inputs or from fisheries that are sustainably harvested.}

^{Fishing companies won’t stop pillaging the Antarctic unless we show them that there’s no longer demand for these products. Putting pressure on well-known retailers is the best way we can stop the depletion of the krill population. By disrupting demand and getting rid of this market, we can make retailers put the environment over profits.}

^{VACUUMING ANTARCTICA:  THE CORPORATIONS PLUNDERING THE EARTH'S LAST FRONTIER}

^{https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Krill_report_SumOfUs_2015.pdf}

^{EXECUTIVE SUMMARY}

^{Around the world, growing demand for farmed fi sh andomega-3 health supplements is coming at a hidden cost – the Antarctic, and one of the last unspoiled oceans on the planet. In a quest to exploit the “pink gold” of Antarctica’s krill as a raw input into both fish farming and omega-3 supplements, this pristine environment and its whales, penguins, seals and birds are dangerously threatened.}

^{But it doesn’t need to be this way – and it’s time for the companies threatening the Antarctic to hear this message. After depleting many of the world’s oceans of their fish, companies are now going after what’s left at the bottom of the food chain – the krill, a tiny crustacean that is the heart of the Antarctic ecosystem and feed its  , seals and whales. Using giant industrial factory-ships, seafood companies are literally vacuuming the oceans by sucking up the krill that other marine creatures depend on.} 

^{Antarctic ice is melting due to climate change, depleting krill’s ice algae food source. The end result is that since the1970s, the krill population has already dropped by  %. 80%. In turn, research now shows that Antarctic penguin populations, which depend on krill, have collapsed by 50% in studied colonies over the last 30 years}

^{With climate change accelerating, pressure will relentlessly increase on this delicate wildlife ecosystem. Plundering krill in an already-threatened ecosystem is reckless in the extreme.}

^{This exploitation is ultimately dependent on a market for krill-based products. Currently, this route to market is provided by a number of major retailers, including Walmart, Target, CVS, and Walgreen’s. These companies continue to sell krill products despite clear contradictions with their own sustainability commitments. Our message to these companies is simple:}

^{Stop supporting the dangerous exploitation of Antarctic krill. Take the krill off your shelves, and leave it for the penguins and the Antarctic ecosystem.}

^{PROTECTING KRILL PROTECTS THE ANTARCTIC WILDERNESS}

^{The waters surrounding Antarctica are still relatively un- touched by human activity. These waters are home to almost 10,000 species, many not found anywhere else on the planet.}

^{Krill are at the heart of this pristine ecosystem. This tiny crustacean plays a crucial role in the ocean food chain, feeding the whales, penguins, seals and birds living in or visiting the waters of Antarctica. Krill is the foundation of this marine wilderness, providing over 96% of the caloric needs of sea-birds and marine mammals}

^{But this foundation is now threatened by both climate change and krill fishing, putting this vibrant and magnificent natural world at serious risk. In the 1970s, there were huge quantities of krill in the Antarctica. But with krill heavily dependent on ice algae to survive, shrinking sea ice and warm- ing waters have reduced krill swarms to a fraction of their former size. Scientists calculate that krill populations have dropped 80% since the 1970s}

^{Krill fishing and ocean acidification induced by climate change now threaten what is left. Krill are also a vital and under-appreciated contributor to the global ecosystem, helping to hold global warming in check, as their vast schools transport carbon dioxide from the surface waters to the deep. Declining krill numbers will therefore accelerate the climate change that is already warming the waters surrounding the Antarctic Peninsula faster than anywhere else on Earth}

^{Unfortunately for krill, and the species dependent on it, this tiny crustacean is highly valuable for corporations that want it both as a food source for fish farms and for its omega-3 fatty acids. Massive growth is forecast for aquaculture,  and the human nutrition krill market is growing more than 40% per year.}

^{Because other fish species have been exhausted, big business is now using industrial-scale trawling of krill at the bottom of the food chain to satisfy their need for this raw material. To feed this demand, seafood companies have invested in gigantic vessels equipped with new technology that literally vacuum the ocean for krill, sucking up massive volumes at unpredicted rates. China’s clear intention to boost its krill harvest has raised concerns about the rapidly expanding catches, which are ”outstripping our ability to orderly manage it”, as an advisor to the Australian government described the situation.}

^{Recently, China and Russia vetoed a proposal to establish Marine Protected Areas where no fishing would be allowed.}

^{The threat has been recognized and some leaders are acting. In 2010, California banned fishing for krill in state waters. The law was a precautionary action designed to protect the valuable commercial species which feed on krill before it was too late.}

^{The same year the supermarket chain Whole Foods Market showed courageous leadership by withdrawing krill products from its shelves, citing a decline in predatory sea animals – whales, penguins and seals – in its decision}

^{Right now, the magnificent oceans surrounding the Antarctic remain relatively untouched by human activity. But urgent action by consumers is needed to keep it that way.}

^{THE CORPORATIONS AND COUNTRIES PLUNDERING ANTARCTICA'S KRILL}

^{In February of each year, the fleet of krill fishing ships set off for Antarctica for their 6 month season. These so called “ships” are more like floating industrial factories, many exceeding 120 meters in length and with the ability to vacuum the ocean for krill and then process it onboard. The krill fleet’s capacity to harvest the “pink gold” of Antarctica’s krill is exploding, with the total hold capacity of licensed ships rising 44% in just the last two years}

^{Companies from Norway, China, South Korea, Japan and Chile dominate krill fishing. Fishing in Antarctic waters is regulated by CCAMLR, The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources. The key krill-fishing countries are all among the 25 members of CCAMLR, but due to a consensus-based decision process, a single country can veto any decision proposed within CCAMLR.}

^{A number of member countries have been attempting to establish Marine Protected Areas in the Southern Ocean for every year, but decisions have consistently been vetoed by members with significant fishing operations. In 2012, after the proposal had been vetoed, Greenpeace announced that “This year, CCAMLR has behaved like a fisheries organization instead of an organization dedicated to conservation of Antarctic waters”}

^{In 2014, Russia and China vetoed the fourth attempt to protect the Antarctic waters from fishery. Today, most krill is used as aquaculture fish feed, but the new omega-3 market is growing rapidly and krill is becoming increasingly popular as a raw material for these dietary supplements. Ironically, the remoteness and wildness of krill is used as a sales pitch in marketing these supplements, with marketers telling consumers that it comes from “the purest water on Earth”}

^{As well as pure, krill is sometimes marketed as “abundant” and the fishing as “sustainable”. With retailers that consumers trust continuing to stock these products, and a lack of quality information readily accessible, most consumers are unaware of the effects that these products have on penguins and other Antarctic species.}

^{Unfortunately, scientists and regulators currently lack access to quality information on how much krill currently exists in Antarctic waters. The last survey of krill populations was conducted fourteen years ago, and estimates differ by hundreds of millions of tons}

^{This makes certifications obtained by some krill fisheries very questionable, a fact}

^{that has been pointed out by scientists and NGOs, with Greenpeace strongly advising against any certification of krill fisheries.}

^{Aker Biomarine, a Norwegian fishery and biotech company, is the biggest supplier of krill oil. This year the company is building a new production plant and has recently started a campaign aimed at medical practitioners that promotes the health benefits of krill.}

^{Aker Biomarine has its own krill brands, but krill from Aker’s vessels also supply other large brands, such as MegaRed, owned by Reckitt Benckiser, and Barlean’s Wild; Whole Krill Oil. Other brands, like Nature’s Bounty, owned by NBTY, do not reveal the supplier of the krill oil used in their products.}

^{But the bottom line is this: All key suppliers of krill oil source their raw materials from the same place, the pure and increasingly-threatened ocean ecosystem surrounding Antarctica. With krill numbers collapsing, exploitation of this crucial part of the Antarctic ecosystem needs to end.}

Aker BioMarine's Antarctic krill fishery recertified as sustainable            

^{http://www.fis.com/fis/worldnews/worldnews.asp?monthyear=&day=9&id=73772&l=e&special=0&ndb=0}

A rigorous, third party assessment has shown that the Aker BioMarine’s Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) fishery continues to meet the demanding Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) standards for environmentally sustainable fishing. As a result, Aker BioMarine’s krill products, including krill oil, may continue carrying the MSC eco-label, identifying their origin from a sustainable source.

In order to determine the sustainability of the fishery, a team of independent scientists and auditors considered all available science and reviewed the fishery’s management practices against the MSC Fisheries Standard. Their analysis confirms that Aker BioMarine is protecting the unique environment, habitats and species living in the Southern Ocean.

Norway: Aker BioMarine Acquires Krill-specialized Vessel Thorshøvdi

http://www.industrialmarinepower.com/-3-1274-norway-aker-biomarine-acquires-krillspecialized-vessel-thorsh%C3%B8vdi.html

'COMMITTED TO KRILL FISHERY'

http://www.qrill.com/text-56-committed-to-krill-fishery.html

"Antarctic Sea will be outfitted with Aker BioMarine’s 
proprietary technology patents pending Eco Harvesting 
technology. This allows krill to be sustainably harvested with 
no by-catch of marine mammals, seabirds or unwanted fish.

'This new acquisition demonstrates that we are in the krill fishery 
for the long term,' says Aker BioMarine. 'Like all other vessels that 
we have in the krill fishery, besides using the most advanced, 
eco-friendly fishing system available, Antarctic Sea will have an 
independent observer on board to verify our no by-catch policy.' "

http://www.qrill.com/aqua/ss-1-9-shrimp.html

"Consumers enjoy shrimp fed on QRILL™ AQUA diets."

"Shrimp are chemosensory feeders. QRILL™ AQUA Meal 
attractants increase feed intake, even in critical periods."

'KRILL FISHERIES, THE NEXT COLLAPSE?'

http://www.seashepherd.org/commentary-and-editorials/2013
/04/16/krill-fisheries-the

-next-collapse-605

"Many people think of Krill as microscopic creatures, but in fact, 
each individual can grow to 5 cm in length and live up to 7 years. 
They form the zooplankton. In an ocean with relatively few fish, 
they occupy the niche that schooling fish fill in other oceans as 
a keystone species. They feed on phytoplankton that blooms in 
the nutrient-rich, deep-water upwellings at the Antarctic 
Convergence during the 24-hour southern summer sunlight. 
Krill is said to be the largest biomass on the planet, outweighing 
the human population of the world.

On March 17, 2013 we found the Krill fishing vessel Antarctic Sea, 
as seen in the accompanying photos, fishing and processing, 
bellowing huge white plumes into the pure Antarctic air, 
in position63-44.7S 060-18.6W, where the Gilbert and 
Orleans Straits meet east of Trinity Island. The 134-meter, 
9432 gross tonnage ship, formerly named Thorshovdi and 
still licensed under that name, is owned by the Norwegian 
company Aker BioMarine.

Nearby, in position 63-43.2S 061-15.6W, the Kai Xin was 
fishing. The 104-meter, 4407t pelagic trawler owned by 
Shanghai Kaichuang Deep Sea Fisheries Co. Ltd. was fishing 
for the same pink gold: Krill.

A little bit further, the Republic of Korea vessel Adventure was 
after the same thing. And they are not alone. There are two 
Polish vessels, the Alina and Sirius, two other Norwegians, the 
Juvel and the Saga Sea, two other Koreans, the Kwang Ja Ho 
and the Insung Ho, two more Chinese, the Fu Rong Hai and the 
Lian Xing Hai, and the Chilenean vessel Betanzos, all after 
Euphausia superba.

They are all licensed from December 1 of 2012 to November 30 
of 2013, for part or all of the regions 48.1-48.4, basically the 
entire South Atlantic Ocean South of 50 degrees, excluding the 
ice-clogged Weddell Sea.

During the 1970s and early 80s, the first Krill fisheries were 
dominated by the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Japan. 
With the fall of communism, the catches declined from a 
maximum of 500,000 tons to 100,000 tons a year, mainly 
taken by Japan. In 2004, Japan dropped out, but Korea, 
Norway and China stepped in and the catches rose again 
to 210,000 tons in 2009/10, 178.000 tons were caught in 
2010/11 and 157.000 tons in 2011/12. Norway took 101,000 
tons of that last season’s total, the majority for Aker BioMarine.

70% OF WORLD'S FORESTS LESS THAN 800 M DEEP: ALL REMAINING WILDERNESS IS INESTIMABLY PRECIOUS

THIS IS EVERYWHERE

ALL REMAINING WILDERNESS IS INESTIMABLY PRECIOUS

DEFORESTATION: 70% OF REMAINING FORESTS LESS THAN 800M DEEP, MOST FORESTS ARE NO LONGER 'WILDERNESS'

“Nearly 20 percent of the world’s remaining forest is the distance of a football field—or about 100 meters—away from a forest edge. Seventy percent of forest lands are within a half-mile of a forest edge. That means almost no forest can really be considered wilderness.”

http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/1/2/e1500052

Seventy percent of forests left on the planet are within 800 meters (0.5 mile) of a forest edge due to land use changes, especially encroaching urban, suburban developments and agriculture, which are causing global declines in biodiversity, according to a new study lead by North Carolina University.

The researchers discovered that very few forest lands are unaffected by some kind of human development.

“The loss of area, increase in isolation, and greater exposure to human land uses along fragment edges initiate long-term changes to the structure and function of the remaining fragments.”

They also conducted major experiments across five continents examining the effects of habitat fragmentation. They found that fragmented habitats reduce the diversity of plants and animals by up to 75 percent, with the smallest, most isolated patches causing the most impact.

“The initial negative effects were unsurprising,” said the corresponding author of the paper, a professor at NC State University. “But I was blown away by the fact that these negative effects became even more negative with time. Some results showed a 50 percent or higher decline in plant and animals species over an average of just 20 years, for example. And the trajectory is still spiraling downward.”

“Data from 76 different studies across the five longest-running experiments were drawn from published and unpublished sources (table S1). We synthesized results according to three fragmentation treatments: reduced fragment area [the focus of Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), Wog Wog, and Kansas; see Fig. 2 for identifiers of experiments], increased fragment isolation [Savannah River Site (SRS) and Moss], and increased proportion of edge (all experiments). Fragmented treatments were compared directly to non- or less-fragmented habitats that were either larger or connected via structural corridors (table S1).”

“The results were astounding,” said the author. “Nearly 20 percent of the world’s remaining forest is the distance of a football field—or about 100 meters—away from a forest edge. Seventy percent of forest lands are within a half-mile of a forest edge. That means almost no forest can really be considered wilderness.”

EQUINOX SUBMISSION FOR PROTECTION OF TASMANIA'S WILDERNESS WORLD HERITAGE AREA: A CALL FOR 'COMMUNITY JUSTICE'

 STYX GUARDIAN, Eucalyptus Regnans

 CENTRAL PLATEAU FROM MT. ROLAND

 RUSSELL FALLS

 PANDANUS GROVE LAKE DOBSON

 JAMMING WITH ANIWANIWA AT MT. FIELD

 EUCALYPTUS BEAUTY

 AUTUMN BEECH COLOURS

 PANDANI, LAKE DOBSON

TREE PATTERNS, MT. FIELD

EQUINOX SUBMISSION FOR PROTECTING TASMANIA'S WILDERNESS WORLD HERITAGE AREA: TIME FOR 'COMMUNITY JUSTICE'

Dear Director of National Parks & Wildlife, Greg Hunt and Premier Hodgman

I have been traveling and living in, and exploring remote wilderness parts of, Tasmania since 2001. In these 14 years I have come to know and love her dearly. The 'spirit of Tasmania' is a living, breathing and inspiring spiritual and ecological presence not only in my life but in the lives of countless people.

She is one of the most special places on Mother Earth, a rare and unique Gondwanaland remnant island, home to a great diversity of plants, animals, landscapes and peoples. Her remaining wilderness areas deserve to be honoured, preserved and protected as the planetary treasures they truly are, not auctioned off on the chopping blocks of institutionalized greed and a true organized crime mentality that is rampant in Australia at state and federal levels.

In essence I am aligned with the Wilderness Society and their recommendations as outlined here

https://www.wilderness.org.au/sites/default/files/articles/Submission%20Guide-TWWHA-small.pdf
To me personally, even these recommendations do not go far enough; I feel that NO INDUSTRY OF ANY KIND...whether it be logging, mining, or the inocuous-sounding 'tourism'...should be allowed within the TWWHA. I feel that NO MORE MINES should be allowed anywhere in Tasmania, and that NO MORE OLD-GROWTH FORESTS be cut down, not even one more tree.

I am not a 'greenie', I am not an 'environmentalist', I am not a 'protestor', and I am certainly not a business-person nor a politician. I am a creative spirit who loves life and whose life is dedicated to creating awareness of the uniqueness and beauty of the planet on whom we are graced to be able to live. Mother Earth's true nature is only expressed in what precious little true wilderness areas we have left, of which southwest Tasmania is a very significant part. A big part of my work as artist, writer, musician, photographer, film-maker and information activist is to share the beauty and power of nature with my fellow humans so that they may be inspired to fall in love with her and act to protect her.

I did not get to meet Peter Dombrovskis but I do know his widow Liz. To me, he and Olegas Truchenas ARE the 'spirit of Tasmania'. Were they here now, they would be even more disturbed and outraged than I am at the state of affairs not only in Tasmania but in Australia as a whole. The mining and resource extraction industries are running out of control; Mother Earth and all the indigenous people are suffering immensely because of unfettered greed coupled with neo-fascist politics.

One of the most powerful experiences of my life happened to me in central Tasmania in August of 2001. In essence, someone who gave me a ride hitch-hiking stole all of my gear and left me standing in the middle of nowhere near Ouse in the dead of winter. Through an unbelievable series of what can only be called miracles, a week later this thief had returned all of my stolen gear. Why? Because he was scared shitless. See, the police tried to help me but ended up by saying that 'the law is written in favour of the criminals.' A friend I didn't even know I had...who just happened to be 1) the postman of the thief 2) a Muay-thai kick-boxer and 3) a Harley-Davidson rider with a whole slew of bikey mates...acted as 'vigilante', paid the thief a visit and suggested that he return my gear, which he did.

Read the whole story here:
http://synthaissance.blogspot.com.au/2009/07/ghoulest-and-coolest-real-hitch-hiking.html

When the institutionalized legal system fails, it's time for COMMUNITY JUSTICE. I asked my mate what they would have done if the thief had refused to return my gear. He said, 'We had that mapped out. We were going to get my BIG brother who's a huge bikey, get the bloke, tie him to the back of a bike, put a sign on him that said 'thief' and drag him down main street.'

It's obvious that not only is the legal system failing in Tasmania and Australia but that the law IS IN FACT 'written in favour of the criminals'...so maybe it's time for COMMUNITY JUSTICE at this same kind of level to start springing up where it is most badly needed.

I know that a LOT of people in Tasmania are totally fed up with what is unfolding. A 'tipping point' could be on the horizon which the powers that be have no ability to withstand.

It's sad that it's come to this, but enough is enough.

Mother Earth and all her children are crying out in pain and anguish at what we who dare to call ourselves 'man, the wise' are doing. Tasmania is a perfect microcosm of the planetary scenario.

'THINK GLOBALLY...ACT LOCALLY.'

On behalf of 'mitakuye oyasin' and 'the spirit of Tasmania'
Jeff Phillips

http://aniwaniwa-lokahi-renavigation.blogspot.com.au/2014/10/wild-island-tasmania-gallery-peter.html

http://rachels-carson-of-today.blogspot.co.nz/2015/01/battle-for-tarkine-julian-knysh.html

'INTERVENTION WA-STYLE' MINING COMPANIES BEHIND IT ALL

John Pilger showed in 'Utopia' that the attack on central desert communities referred to as 'the intervention' occurred in the wake of discovery of a major uranium deposit in the area. The 'intervention' was in reality a thinly-disguised 'regional land use plan' designed to disempower, criminalize and relocate central desert communities. The closure of Kimberley communities is an identical 'regional land use plan' in another part of Australia, this time deployed bureaucratically rather than via military occupation.

http://synthaissance.blogspot.co.nz/2014/02/john-pilgers-utopia-heart-rending-first.html

"On March 5, Barnett announced that an official investigation was underway into which remote communities would be closed and suggested that this would uncover incidents of child abuse. This is reminiscent of the Northern Territory Intervention, when in 2007 troops were sent in to close down remote NT communities on the pretext that paedophile rings were in operation. These claims were subsequently proven false."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-19/report-details-mining-impact-in-the-kimberley/4379584

http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/kimberly-mining-up-500-per-cent

"The surge in activity has sparked calls for a regional land use plan to allot precious areas an environmental think-tank says."

'Are Mining Interests Behind Western Australian Remote Aboriginal Community Closures?'

http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/are-mining-interests-behind-western-australian-remote-aboriginal-community-closures