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Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme:
Saltwater people working together
Traditional Owners, conservationists, scientists & government representatives from all parts of the Gulf of Carpentaria gathered together in Yirrkala, recently (7th and 8th of February), to discuss an issue of common concern: Ghost Nets. Attending the meeting on behalf of Dhimurru Land Management was Director Walawirritja Yunupingu, Executive Officer Steve Roeger and the Dhimurru Rangers.
What are Ghost Nets?
They are fishing nets that have been either lost or discarded at sea which continue to fish as if guided by a ghostly hand - the ocean currents & winds - and end up becoming rubbish on our shores. These nets are recognized throughout the world as a menace to all marine wild life but in the Gulf region they are a particular threat to turtles & dugongs.
The purpose of the meeting was to form the Steering Committee for the newly named Carpentaria Ghost Net Programme: Saltwater people working together
The Steering committee is currently comprised of 8 traditional owner groups:
- Anindilyakwa Land Council
- Dhimurru Land Management Aboriginal Corporation
- Injinoo Land & Sea Centre
- Laynhapuy Homelands Resource Centre
- Mabunji Homelands Resource Centre
- Mapoon Aboriginal Community
- Marthakal Homelands Resource Centre
- Napranum Aboriginal Community.
The rest of the committee comprises 4 non-government organisations:
- Cleanup Australia
- Northern Gulf Resource Management Group
- Northern Land Council
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
It is open to more members on request.
This committee then structured an operating framework and a workplan for the next 3-6 months. The Committee makes all the decisions on how the programme will function but the local communities will be able to make their own choices about how to cleanup their sea country (coast and foreshore). To assist the local communities in making these tough decisions will be a project officer in each state.
Dhimurru’s Project Officer, Jane Dermer will be fulfilling this role for the NT.
The programme is funded to the tune of $2M by the National Heritage Trust for the next three years and is managed by the NGRMG. NHT funding is matched by stakeholder’s cash and in-kind contributions.
One of the aims is to remove the ghost nets from the coastline, thereby reducing the number of them finding their way back into the water. These collected nets will also be recorded in a variety of ways (position, size weight, animal entrapments) by the community groups involved in the project so that important information about the nets; where they come from, how many, what type of turtles are trapped etc, can assist in negotiations with Australia’s northern neighbors to address the problem at its source.Back to News
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Last Updated 24 October 2008
Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation PO Box 1551 Nhulunbuy NT Australia 0881
Phone: 08 8987 3992 Fax: 08 8987 3224 Email: nhamirri@SPAMBUNGLERdhimurru.com.au (To Email remove SPAMBUNGLER)
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