Caring for Country : Sea Management

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Sea Country Management

Traditional Connection Management / Policy Initiatives

Coastal aboriginal people have been connected to saltwater country for many thousands of years and it remains an intimate part of their everyday existence today. The concept of the sea as a public commons or open access space was imported to Australia at the time of colonisation.

Sea Turtle caught in marine debris
Rangers actively manage wildlife protection programs

Traditional Connection

Aboriginal concepts of the sea are intimately linked to traditional ownership and management in the same way that places in the land are connected.

This system of ownership and management exists as a living culture today in the Northern Territory amongst Saltwater People.

This means that all marine and coastal activities including:

	hunting,
	sacred site management,
	commercial and recreational fishing,
	conservation and protection,
	tourism management,
	catchment management,
	planning,
	policy,
	legislation

and more are of direct relevance to coastal Aboriginal People.

In contrast Australian law and policy at both the Federal and State level usually sees Aboriginal people as marginal to decisions made about their own sea country.

Despite this Saltwater People in the Northern Territory continue to assert their management and ownership rights to their sea country. The majority of coastal land in the Northern Territory is owned as inalienable freehold title under the Land Rights Act and further rights to ownership use and management of the seas and intertidal zone are being explored currently.

Management / Policy Initiatives

The NLC is rapidly developing a Caring for Sea Country program aimed at assisting people with planning and management for their sea country through planning workshops, ranger programs, research projects and other initiatives.

In addition to this the NLC is looking at reform of policy as it applies to seas in the Northern Territory.

This policy work aims to place saltwater Aboriginal people at the centre of decision making in regard to all aspects of sea use and management rather than at the margins. Constructive policy reform should allow for much greater recognition and utilisation of the vast stores of experience Aboriginal people have as stewards and protectors of sea-country. This could be used in a way which benefits both coastal traditional owners and the wider Australian community through improved marine and coastal management.

The NLC also continues to broker constructive commercial agreements between traditional owners of saltwater country and commercial ventures such as pearling and fishing interests who want to use aboriginal sea country for profit.

While in the longer term Aboriginal people are seeking involvement and ownership of commercial ventures in their sea country, the NLC works to facilitate commercial use of sea country where there is mutual benefit to outside operators and traditional owners and ensuring that traditional owners are consulted properly.

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