Mosaic Map: NRM funded projects
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Silent fish poachers
Illegal fishers are not the only poachers in Australian waters.
'Ghost nets' or fishing nets that have been accidentally lost, deliberately discarded or simply abandoned at sea, poach the world's oceans on the currents and tides. Fishing indiscriminately, they trap and kill large numbers of threatened species and fish.
The task of removing ghost nets from the shores of Northern Australia has been taken up by the Indigenous rangers living in the Gulf of Carpentaria, which includes Western Cape York, Eastern Arnhem Land and Southern Torres Straits. Like the other Traditional Owner groups who have managed marine and coastal country for thousands of years, they call themselves 'saltwater people.'
Marine turtles are among the main species of concern that are regularly caught up in ghost nets.
Chairman of the project, Djawa Yunupingu from the Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation in Nhulunbuy said, "To saltwater people, who live on the coast, turtles are very important for everyday life.
"We've lived with them for thousands of years and to see them caught in nets is not the traditional way. When we come across them, it brings tears to our eyes. They are in our song and dance, we imitate these turtles.
"Not only are they culturally important but they are part of our diet, we want to save these turtles for our grandchildren, for the future. We tend to look up to them very much."
Funding
Funds are provided for this project by the Australian Government. It also has support from the Northern Territory and Queensland Governments, Clean Up Australia, Oceanwatch Ltd and the North Australia Land & Sea Management Alliance; local Indigenous homelands or Shire Councils and Corporate business.
Activities
There are eighteen Indigenous communities participating in the project. They remove nets from the coastline and waters, record the numbers, size and location of the nets found and rescue animals trapped in the nets.
Rangers report the activities carried out by the community to improve people's awareness about the Ghost Net issue. Research is also being conducted on factors that influence the distribution, abundance, movement and impact of Ghost Nets in the Gulf.
Achievements
So far, 58.75 kilometres of net have been removed. Most of these nets were found in the country managed by the Dhimurru, Anindilyakwa, Yirralka Laynha, Napranum and Injinoo rangers.
More information
- Riki Gunn, Project coordinator: (07) 4745 9661 or riki@ghostnets.com.au
- Carpentaria Ghost Nets
See also
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