PROTECTING AUSTRALIA'S DUGONGS AND SEA TURTLES
PROTECTING AUSTRALIAN DUGONGS AND SEA TURTLES
EARTHRACE CONSERVATION STARTS FIRST FUND-RAISING CAMPAIGN
Our first real ‘action’ as Earthrace Conservation was when Pete visited Trinidad in February 2011 to meet and work with the Trini Eco Warriors on their campaign to protect endangered sea turtles.
Now, with our first specific fund-raising campaign led by Earthrace Conservation Australia, we’re delighted to be helping not just sea turtles, but also the gentle Australian dugong population, by asking for donations to go towards a fantastic initiative started by Colin Riddell and Steve Irwin’s father, Bob Irwin.
Bob Irwin has taken the rare step of appearing in a series of television commercials calling for an immediate moratorium on the hunting of endangered dugongs and sea turtles around the Australian coastline by Indigenous hunters under Native Title.
Bob has decided to speak out along with James Epong, an Indigenous Australian, and Ben Cropp, world renowned marine documentary maker and diver, who also appear in the three separate TV commercials being aired as from today (Sunday 4 September) in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.
Hundreds of the endangered animals are washing up dead along the Australian coastline from unknown causes. Dugongs and sea turtles are also hunted, legally under Native Title, and by poachers. Both dugongs and sea turtles are killed using unspeakably cruel methods. Uncontrolled and unmonitored hunting is an additional pressure they do not need. Queensland is the only remaining state in Australia having no cruelty laws in relation to indigenous hunting.
We want to raise enough money to buy more airtime for the TV commercials as well as newspaper advertisements to keep this campaign in the public eye, and to keep the pressure on the politicians to make the necessary changes to legislation.
WATCH THE ADS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9moinJ0TM8&feature=youtu.be
WATCH VIDEO OF HUNTED SEA TURTLE (contains upsetting scenes) http://youtu.be/6lT9QLrQITk
Please help us to help the Australian dugongs and sea turtles by donating whatever you can spare today. We’ll keep you fully updated on the campaign as it develops through our face book pages and on the website.
DONATE HERE: http://www.facebook.com/EarthraceAustralia?sk=app_190322544333196
If you would like to send a cheque, please make it out to Earthrace, write ‘dugongs and sea turtles’ on the back and send it to: Earthrace Charitable Trust, 394 Wairere Rd, RD2, Henderson, 0782, New Zealand.
For all media enquiries about the campaign, please contact:
Colin Riddell: mobile 00 61 (0)427632208, home 00 61 (0)7 40454034.
Email dugongman@gmail.com Website http://dugongandturtles.webs.com/
Or for enquiries about Earthrace Conservation Australia, please contact:
Alan Winstanley, Operations Director, Earthrace Conservation Australia,
alan@earthrace.net 00 61 (0)412 534 819 http://www.facebook.com/EarthraceAustralia?sk=wall
