9 October 2007

Working together to manage sea country in the Great Barrier Reef will be discussed at the second National Indigenous Land and Sea Management Conference in Cardwell, north Queensland, this week.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) staff will be at the event to showcase and discuss how the agency works with Traditional Owners in a shared approach to sea country management.

GBRMPA Acting Chairman John Tanzer said the Authority was pleased to support the event and saw it as an excellent opportunity to establish relationships with Traditional Owners to manage sea country.

“We are committed to working with Traditional Owner groups to ensure the Great Barrier Reef is used and managed sustainably for the future,” he said.

“We have developed a close partnership with many Traditional Owners along the coast.

“The conference is an excellent opportunity to showcase how we work with Traditional Owners for sea country management.

“It will also help us network with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have an interest in the Great Barrier Reef.

“The Authority works with all Traditional Owner groups. Those groups that have a Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreement have a formal relationship with the Authority and their rights and interests as Traditional Owners are formally recognised in sea country management.”

Working together, the GBRMPA and Traditional Owners have reached a range of positive outcomes:

• Accrediting two Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements for the Girringun and Woppaburra Traditional Owner groups, respectively - these agreements recognise sea country and aim to ensure traditional use of marine resources is ecologically sustainable and cultural practices continue to coexist with the conservation and management of the Great Barrier Reef.
• Developing sea country partnerships arrangements between the GBRMPA, Queensland Environmental Protection Agency and Traditional Owner groups.
• Assisting and encouraging Indigenous tourism permit opportunities.
• Supporting a successful application by the Woppaburra Traditional Owners to have traditional island names formally recognised – map makers now have the option of including the traditional name and primary name on all new maps.
• Ensuring Indigenous representation on the Reef Advisory Committees, Local Marine Advisory Committees and in the Reef Guardian Schools Programme (in Palm Island and Bamaga).