| Sea rights: the time
is now |
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| 
Bill Risk and members of the Kimberley Land Council attend
the conference
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In
October 2001, the High Court of Australia decided
in the Croker
Island Sea Claim case that native title rights
can exist over
seas, but that those rights weren’t
exclusive rights. |
| |
It’s a ruling that
has created a unique set of challenges in relation to
Indigenous fishing rights in Australia, and was a key
issue up for discussion at the recent
Native Title Fishing
Conference held in Fremantle from 27 to 28
October.
Attended by more than 250
delegates, much
of the attention was focused on
"how" Indigenous
people can participate in what has been identified as
a healthy, progressive industry in Australia.
Sir Tipene O’Regan, a
retired Maori
leader and former Chairman of New Zealand
seafood producer
the Sealords Group, says the time is right
for Indigenous
interests to become involved in
Australia’s commercial
fishing industry. |
|
|
|  People
are starting to take the initiative and are moving things
forward. Independence must be sought, so that
people and groups
can move forward towards success.
A good window of opportunity exists to clarify the interest
of Indigenous Australians. The time is now to roll with the
tidal flow moving in the right direction.
|
|
| Sir Tipene |
|
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| Aquaculture
enterprises are regarded
as an ideal introduction to the industry. A
method of farming
that shows signs of being a major player in the
fishing industry.
Growing fish in a controlled,
natural environment
has its benefits, with the managing of weight and size of
stock often tailored to suit market demands. An
added benefit
is the significantly low impact on wild stock numbers.
Aquaculture is an industry that
would fit neatly
into coastal regions of northern Australia, and
if established
correctly, could provide an economic base for
future developments
over many years.
Professor George Kailis, director of the MG
Kailis Group of Companies, said the Croker Island case had
opened the door for Indigenous interests to
pursue negotiated
agreements.
He told the conference that native
title rights
provided an opportunity for Indigenous people to access and
involve themselves in the commercial fishing industry.
|
|
| In
regards to the current situation, at this point, commercial
rights are exceeding native title rights. Broader
negotiated
outcomes need to be sought as opposed to lengthy
litigation. |
|
| Professor
Kailis |
|
|
|
A recent north
Australian survey
shows that fishing is an invaluable component of Indigenous
culture.
Larrakia traditional owner Bill Risk favours
greater Indigenous involvement in the industry,
but says more
needs to be done to encourage that involvement.
|
| |
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| I’d
like to see a capacity for Aboriginal groups to
access commercial
licences.
While you can usually buy them, Aboriginal
communities aren’t
flush with a lot of money. So, if they could negotiate with
fisheries departments, perhaps licences could be issued on
a small area or over a five-year period. |
|
| Mr Risk |
|
With the commercial
fishing industry
in Australia worth some $2.5 billion, Indigenous
involvement
has been described as a "must".
Investing now will benefit future generations
and provide them with an opportunity to be
involved in their
future economy, as well as skilling them to operate in the
industry well beyond today. |
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Introduction
