Public seminars

The public seminar series is proudly sponsored by the Sea Turtle Foundation...

Indigenous hunting of marine turtles in Australia: conservation challenge or opportunity

Prof. Helene Marsh
James Cook University

2.00 pm Sunday 7th September, 2008 (Threatened Species Day)
Townsville Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre

Turtles and dugongs have great cultural significance for the Indigenous coastal peoples of northern Australia, who have harvested them for thousands of years. Scientific evidence suggests that turtles may be over-harvested by some communities and some Traditional Owners share the scientists’ concerns. However, there is time to work with Indigenous communities throughout northern Australia to develop community-based management of their harvests as advocated by the ‘National Partnership Approach’ and the Traditional Use Resource Management Agreement being developed in the Great Barrier Reef Region. The challenge is management plan implementation - which will require long-term investment in supportive policies, employment, capacity building, and infrastructure in the remote regions of tropical Australia. While implementation of management plans is certainly challenging, it will also create valuable employment opportunities such as community-based ranger programs that will not only help protect Australia’s tropical biological and cultural diversity but could also help address social problems in some communities.

#2 TBA

To be presented by Dr Scott Whiting, and held in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia in late 2008

#3 TBA

To be presented by Dr Peter Dutton and held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on the 15th of February.