Oceans in Crisis: South Australia NOT immune

The Wilderness Society (South Australia) Inc

Media Release

19 October 2009

The global phenomenon that is “The End of the Line” came to Adelaide’s Mercury Cinema on Sunday, screening to a packed audience hosted by The Wilderness Society of South Australia.

This powerful and confronting new film uses brilliant underwater footage plus interviews with world leading scientists, activists and fishermen to reveal the devastating impacts of overfishing on marine life and coastal communities.  

Internationally acclaimed as the Inconvenient Truth of the oceans, it has been galvanizing public opinion across the globe in favour of increased marine protection.

Here in Australia, the film has now been screened in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart and Melbourne in a series of events designed to raise awareness about the threats facing Australia’s marine environment and the urgent need to establish large marine sanctuaries.

South Australia is home to more unique marine life than the Great Barrier Reef yet less than 1% of our oceans are fully protected.  An alarming number of our marine fisheries are classified as either fully or over-fished with cockle, abalone, rock lobster and tuna populations all in serious decline.

 “Globally our oceans are in crisis and South Australia is not immune from the scourge of overfishing” said Shen Dycer, The Wilderness Society SA’s Marine Campaigner.

 “As the State’s population grows, so will the pressures on our marine environment. We’ve all seen how years of inaction have resulted in environmental and economic disaster for the communities of the River Murray, Coorong and Lower Lakes – we can’t let that happen to South Australia’s unique coastal lifestyle”.

 “We urgently need a network of large marine sanctuaries which will protect the bounty of our oceans for the benefit of future generations”.

To watch the preview and see the global media response visit www.endoftheline.com.