21 April 2010

Traditional Owners from the Mackay and Whitsunday region have returned from a field trip to the Northern Territory where they learnt about marine management and ranger programs from local Traditional Owners.

The visit was made possible thanks to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, as part of the Caring for Our Country Reef Rescue Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program.

Traditional Owners and representatives of the Gia, Ngaro, Yuibera and Koinjimal said the trip was a useful learning experience and the group hoped to put some ideas into action in the future.

The Traditional Owners said it was great to see first-hand the work the Dhimurru people were doing in the Northern Territory to protect marine turtles and dugongs.

They hope to learn from their experiences and develop some systems they can put in place on the ground in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

They said the Larraki Nation also had very well-developed ranger programs for men and women and these were good for the communities as well as good for the environment.

It was also useful to link up with the North Australia Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) who are well-respected for their land and sea management.

During the trip, the Traditional Owners undertook field activities where they learnt about the biology and status of species such as marine turtles and dugong.

This included the use of I-Tracker, a system in place in the Northern Territory where the Traditional Owners gather and share information on turtles and dugongs and other environmental information with marine managers.

The Northern Land Council also met with the group to talk about Sea Country management planning, which was well-received.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Chairman Russell Reichelt said the field trip was a hands-on practical learning opportunity.

"Traditional Owners have a very close connection to the Great Barrier Reef and those in the Mackay and Whitsunday region are keen to take a more active role in managing their Land and Sea Country," he said.

"They are interested in working with us to protect plants and animals in the Marine Park, protect cultural and heritage values and contribute to resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.

"This field trip was an opportunity for them to observe and learn from the experiences in the Northern Territory where very advanced programs are in place.

"The information and ideas gathered through the field trip will be available to other Traditional Owner groups in the Reef region and we hope it will inspire them to adopt some activities in their own Land and Sea Country."

The Caring for Our Country Reef Rescue Indigenous Land and Sea Country Partnerships Program aims to strengthen communications between local communities, managers and reef stakeholders.

It aims to build a better understanding of Traditional Owner issues about the management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and foster an expansion of the Traditional Use of Marine Resources Program across the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

The program is part of the Australian Government's $10 million commitment over five years toward Caring for Our Country.

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