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UPDATE: The two female climbers who attached themselves to the suspension bridge at the Cataract Gorge in Launceston have since ceased their peaceful protest. The women remained suspended from the bridge for two hours, until 12pm. The two climbers, a local law student and a doctor participated in the peaceful protest action to highlight the detrimental impacts that mining in the Tarkine will have on healthy devil populations living in the region. A Groundswell spokeswoman said the group opposed any mining development in the Tarkine region and were calling on federal environment minister Tony Burke to World Heritage List the site. TWO activists from environmental group Groundswell have suspended themselves from the Alexandra bridge at Lanceston's Cataract Gorge. The protesters, who expect to remain in place until 12pm, have attached themselves to a banner that reads ''For devil's sake, don't mine the Tarkine''. Groundswell spokeswoman Sarah Van Est said the peaceful protest was designed to highlight the detrimental effects mining will have on Tasmanian Devil populations living in the area. “The Tarkine region of North West Tasmania contains the last wild populations of disease free devils. Mining and associated activities are of significant threat to the devils of this region” Ms Van Est said. ''Already under direct threat from the deadly facial tumour disease (DFTD), loss of habitat significantly increases the likelihood of contact between healthy and diseased animals. This has the potential to increase the rate of spread of DFTD.”

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