Sydney, July 1: The Surfrider Foundation Australia, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to protecting Australia’s oceans, has made its acclaimed surf film Southern Blast available for free streaming on YouTube, following a highly successful theatrical run.
The 39-minute film, directed by ecologist and award-winning filmmaker Matty Hannon, highlights the devastating impact of seismic blasting on marine ecosystems and primary industries. Featuring reflections from prominent figures in the surf industry and insights from First Nations Elders, local fishermen, and business founders, Southern Blast captures the beauty of the Southern Sea Country through stunning cinematography and spectacular surf footage.
The film documents the threat posed by seismic blasting to the marine life along Australia’s rugged Southern Ocean coastlines. It follows a crew of top Australian surfers, marine biologists, ocean experts, and local residents as they explore the significance of the coldest and most remote waves in the country, emphasizing the urgent need to protect these pristine waters from the destructive practices of offshore fossil fuel extraction.
“We’re so stoked to be able to share Southern Blast with a worldwide audience on YouTube now after its theatrical debut,” said Surfrider Australia’s CEO Steph Curley.
“This film is a beautiful piece of storytelling that really immerses you in Australia’s pristine coastal environments that we work hard to protect.”
Southern Blast was created in early 2023 to raise awareness about a disastrous proposal for 7.7 million hectares of seismic blasting in the Southeast region of the Southern Ocean.
Seismic blasting, the first step in oil and gas exploration, involves releasing extremely loud airgun blasts on the ocean surface to map gas deposits deep below the seabed. These blasts, released every 8-10 seconds for 200 days a year over four years, pose severe risks to marine life, including commercial fisheries like scallops and rock lobsters, and migratory whale species such as the endangered Pygmy Blue Whales and Southern Right Whales.
Since the campaign’s launch, along with the creation and national tour of Southern Blast, the proposal has been downsized from 7.7 million hectares to 3.17 million hectares.
This reduction followed a paddle-out protest in Torquay, Victoria, where over 1,200 community members demonstrated against the proposal.
Surfrider Foundation Australia’s National Campaigns Director Drew McPherson commented, “The downsizing of the outrageous proposal shows just how much of a role communities can play in protecting the oceans and local coastlines.
But let’s be clear, communities don’t want their coastlines blasted by exploration companies at all.
The only acceptable outcome for local coastal communities is no blasting, there’s just no benefits for local communities, but there’s a whole range of dangerous risks from fishing industries to vital marine ecosystems.
This proposal only benefits multinational corporations – the money goes offshore – but it’s the community who will live with the impacts of the blasting that lose.”
Southern Blast had a successful run in Australian cinemas starting in October 2023, grossing $20,000 for the campaign. Although initially planned for release on a major streaming platform, Surfrider Australia chose to make the film freely available on YouTube to maximize awareness and education on their coastal conservation efforts.
Since its inception in 1991, Surfrider Foundation Australia has galvanized surfers and coastal communities to advocate for better water quality management and environmental preservation across Australia’s coastline.
In King Island, where this activity is proposed, 97 per cent of the community opposes it but requires broader support to cancel the drilling and blast permit.
Surfrider and Ben & Jerry’s aim to exert enough pressure on politicians to revoke the permit, thereby saving Australia’s coastline from potentially catastrophic blasts.
Other risks include oil leaks, flaring, ocean fires, and widespread pollution.
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