For thousands of years, Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders have fished, hunted and gathered in the waters, adjacent coastal areas and on the islands in the Great Barrier Reef. For Indigenous peoples, turtles and dugongs hold cultural, spiritual, social and economic significance. They are very important for special social and cultural celebrations and are an important source of food for some remote communities.

The current level of all human-related mortality on dugong and green turtle populations within the Great Barrier Reef means that hunting of these species must be managed carefully. This combined mortality is thought to exceed the capacity to replace losses of these species at this time. Scientists advise the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to reduce all human related mortality of dugongs along the urban coast of Queensland to as close to zero as possible. There are also warning signs that the green turtle populations on the Great Barrier Reef may be in the early stages of a population decline.

Dugongs and turtles are also hunted in adjacent areas and neighbouring countries that share stocks with the Great Barrier Reef.

Actions

• The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan 2003 introduced a system to accredit Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements (TUMRAs) developed by Traditional Owners. A TUMRA is developed by Traditional Owners and is used to manage traditional use activities such as dugong and turtle hunting in specified areas of the Marine Park
• GBRMPA's Indigenous Partnerships Liaison Unit supports communities through information and education programmes on dugong and turtle conservation
• A number of Traditional Owner groups adjacent to the Marine Park have developed their own plans for managing traditional use activities in the Marine Park such as hunting
• A national partnership approach to Sustainable and Legal Indigenous Harvest of Marine Turtles and Dugongs in Australia was endorsed by the Australian Sate and Territory Governments in October 2005
• Surveillance and enforcement have been increased to prevent illegal hunting
• Research results regarding dugongs and marine turtles are being communicated to Indigenous groups through meetings and the distribution of printed materials
• The Australian and Queensland Governments have adopted a policy of not issuing permits for dugong hunting south of Cooktown, nor accrediting TUMRAs involving the take of dugong in this area
• A green turtle population model has been developed to assist with assessing the impact of human-related affects such as illegal hunting on Great Barrier Reef stocks of the species (GBRMPA, EPA).
• The North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) received funding from the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources to develop community-driven approaches to sustainably manage dugong and marine turtles across northern Australia.