In early February 2017, the Lobster man, Todd Walsh visited the Frankland River forests in Tasmania's Tarkine. With our campaigner Scott Jordan, Todd surveyed the world's largest freshwater crayfish, Astacopsis gouldi.

This new film by Tasmanian wilderness photographer and filmmaker Dan Broun was produced for our campaign to protect the Tarkine.

Photo: Lisa Searle

"Being here in this forest is so powerful. Tonight, the endangered Masked Owl perched near the camp. How can Forestry Tasmania even contemplate destroying this ecosystem?

A Wedge-tailed Eagle flew right above my tree this afternoon and we saw a juvenile Tasmanian devil the first night we were here. Where will these precious creatures go after this forest is destroyed?"

Dr Lisa Searle, Conservationist in the threatened Frankland forests.

www.theadvocate.com.au

“Attention to the looming fate of these ancient forests needs to be raised, losing these ancient forests to logging would be a global shame,” Dr Lisa Searle said."

Read the full story on theadvocate.com.au here

Media Release 21 Feb 2017

Canopy vigil Frankland River 21 Feb 2017

A vigil in the canopy of threatened ancient forests in Tasmania’s Tarkine has been established by conservationists. Bob Brown Foundation have escalated their campaign this week to highlight the looming loss of globally significant forests to logging.

“If Tasmania’s Government continue with plans to log the Old-growth forests of the Frankland River in the Tarkine in the coming weeks, we will lose an extraordinary tract of ancient forests, critical habitat for many species and have harmful impacts on one of the best habitats for the world’s largest freshwater crayfish, the Astacopsis gouldi,” Bob Brown Foundation’s Jenny Weber said.

Dr Lisa Searle, who will occupy the Canopy Vigil for the coming week, is hoping that Federal Environment Minister, Premier Hodgman and Forestry Tasmania will get the message and cease plans to log these forests.

“These ancient trees provide important habitat for so many species, and there are active Wedge-Tailed Eagle nests right here in these proposed logging coupes,” Conservationist Dr Lisa Searle said. "Being here really makes you realise how incredibly unique and amazing this place is."

“Attention to the looming fate of these ancient forests needs to be raised, losing these ancient forests to logging would be a global shame. While in the forest, conservationists will survey the forest values and conduct forest monitoring,” Dr Lisa Searle said.

“Last week community members occupied the threatened forests and broadcast the conservation values. This week our community occupation of these remote forests continues. There is still time for Premier Hodgman and Federal Environment Minister Frydenberg to protect these globally significant forests and halt the proposed logging,” Jenny Weber said.

Photographs attached of the Tarkine Canopy Vigil in the Frankland River Forests – higher resolution images available on request.

Contact
Jenny Weber 0427 366 929

Lisa Searle in Frankland River canopy vigil 21 Feb 2017

Canopy vigil Frankland River support team 21 Feb 2017

View from the Frankland River canopy vigil 21 Feb 2017

Media Release 20 Feb 2017

Tarkine forests. Photo: Colette Harmsen

Conservationists at Bob Brown Foundation have released photographs of threatened Old-growth forests in Tasmania’s Tarkine, taken last week after campaigners and community members spent the week in the remote forests documenting their values.

“While in these threatened forests we sighted endangered species, the Wedge-tailed eagle and Masked Owl.  We are calling on the Federal Environment Minister and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman to halt the proposed logging of these forests in Tasmania’s Tarkine,” Jenny Weber said.

“Forestry Tasmania have told us they intend to log these ancient forests on the banks of the Frankland River in the coming weeks. Our advocacy campaign for the protection of these forests has included protests in Hobart and Melbourne, a new website launched to rally citizens to protest and visiting the threatened forests to document their values before they are lost forever,” Jenny Weber said.

Bob Brown Foundation launched a new website, ActionforTarkine.org last week to register community members who are interested in protesting the logging of the Frankland River forests.

“Intact forests are becoming rarer globally, here in Tasmania’s Tarkine we have globally significant tracts of intact rainforests and eucalyptus forests. Securely protected Tarkine forests will mitigate global climate change, protect endangered species, remove the cost to the tax-payer that this logging causes and prevent massive environmental damage,” Jenny Weber said.

Forestry Tasmania has plans to log two areas of forest that have endangered Wedge-tailed Eagle nests nearby and flank the Frankland River, one of the best habitats left for the world’s largest freshwater crayfish.

Photographs attached – higher resolution images available on request.

Contact for more information
Jenny Weber
0427 366 929

Tarkine forests. Photo: Colette Harmsen

Tarkine forests. Photo: Jenny Weber

abc.net.au

An ABC article on Tarkine BioBlitz 2016:

"Sure we are coming along Forestry Tasmania roads and it's a dear shame that there's forestry roads into some of these ancient rainforests."These forests have wedge-tailed eagle nests in them where the wedge-tailed eagles are breeding," she said.

"They have Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish on the banks of the river. So these are rare endangered species in ancient old growth forests."

The presence of high profile threatened species in the Tarkine has been known long before the bioblitz, but Ms Weber said the bioblitz event helped raise awareness about the area.

"As environmentalists we are not naive to the fact we have a long way to go but this is a very important step.

"We have people come from the mainland to experience the place and experience it as an intact ecosystem and say, 'actually there's benefits to this place remaining intact.'"

Read the full story on abc.net.au here.

theadvocate.com.au

"Save the Tarkine proponents have attended a meeting at Wynyard, in a bid to step-up the campaign against logging within the Tarkine Wilderness Area. 

The meeting comes as the Bob Brown Foundation turns its focus to the impact the release of land for logging could have on the freshwater crayfish population in the Frankland River. 

Former Greens leader Bob Brown spoke at the event and said he hoped the state would have a “revolution in thinking” in coming years and view the freshwater crayfish as a tourism drawcard"

Read the full story on theadvocate.com.au here.

abc.net.au

"An environmental group is stepping up its campaign against the harvesting of timber from a coupe in north-west Tasmania because of the presence of a giant freshwater crayfish population.

This week a group from the Bob Brown Foundation has been monitoring the population in the Frankland River, located in the Tarkine Wilderness Area in north-west Tasmania.

The river is within 400,000 hectares of reserve land that the State Government plans to open up for logging.

Bob Brown Foundation campaigner Scott Jordan said it would threaten the crayfish population.

"We've found some spectacular giant freshwater crayfish, some strong blues and colours that are really unique to the Frankland catchment," he said."

Read the full story (and see all the great photos) on abc.net.au here.

Media Release 3 Feb 2017

Conservationists at Bob Brown Foundation are calling on the Federal Environment Minister and Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman to halt the proposed logging of Tarkine ancient forests. Protests will be held in Hobart and Melbourne this afternoon and a public meeting in Wynyard on Sunday will address the problems with logging globally significant forests in the Tarkine.

 “Logging in the Tarkine’s world heritage value forests, if allowed to proceed, will have long term devastating impacts on the environment, climate and wildlife. The intact forests of Tasmania’s Tarkine are globally unique and require protection for the survival of rare and endangered species,” Bob Brown Foundation’s campaign manager, Jenny Weber said.

“Intact forest landscapes are a key component in mitigating global climate change. As intact forests across the globe become rarer, secure protection for the Tarkine’s forests is more urgent,” Jenny Weber said.

“There is still time to halt this logging before the damage is done. We have friendly protests and public meetings planned from southern to northern Tasmania and over to Melbourne in the coming days to highlight the threat to the Tarkine forests,” Jenny Weber said.

“Despite our lobbying efforts to both State and Federal governments asking for protection of these forests in Tasmania’s Tarkine, logging of 75 hectares is planned to commence in the coming month,” Jenny Weber said.

“Forestry Tasmania is protecting the Forest Practices Code rather than the Giant Freshwater Crayfish. Scientific studies show that streamside reserves don’t protect the Crayfish from the impact of logging,” Environmentalist Bob Brown said.

Forestry Tasmania has plans to log two areas of forest that have endangered Wedge-tailed Eagle nests nearby and flank the Frankland River, one of the best habitats left for the world’s largest freshwater crayfish.

The two areas of forest are currently under a Wedge-tailed Eagle breeding season exclusion zone, which ends on the 10 February. Conservationists have been told by Forestry Tasmania that logging is planned after the restriction is lifted.

Upcoming Events – Friendly vigils will be held TODAY to draw attention to the issue out the front of Premier Hodgman’s Hobart office and Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg’s office in Melbourne.

Hobart protest –Executive Building today at 4pm today, Hobart.

Melbourne protest – Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg’s office in Melbourne at 3:30pm today.

Public Meeting – Wynyard, north-west Tasmania, Sunday 5 Feb at 2pm.

Contact for more information: Jenny Weber 0427 366 929

Forestry Tasmania