Mr MITCHELL - 1995-08-22
Members may have observed recent media coverage of a workshop held between commercial fishermen and the Northern Land Council which involved representatives from the minister's department and the Northern Territory police. What processes are used for consultation with Aboriginal people over fisheries management?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, my department has played a key role in the promotion of dialogue between commercial fishing interests and coastal Aboriginal communities since the Turning of the Tide Conference in 1993. Following that conference, the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council and my department recognised the need for consultation with Aboriginal people, and it has gone to considerable effort and cost to promote that communication.
The Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council met with the Anindilyakwa people from Groote Eylandt following the conference and subsequently formed a consultative committee with assistance from the Fisheries Division of my department. The committee, which was endorsed by my predecessor, provides an opportunity for communication and discussion of fisheries matters between the Anindilyakwa people of the Groote Eylandt area, the DPIF, police, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority which manages the northern prawn fishery and, of course, the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council. It provides a means for Aboriginal people in the area to make representations to government and the fishing industry on resource management issues regarding the Groote area, and promotes cooperation between government agencies, fishermen and Aboriginal people. The 6 formal meetings held to date have been rotated between Darwin and Alyangula. All parties agree that the meetings have been productive, informative and held in a very cooperative atmosphere. Recently, senior ALC members attended a meeting of the Northern Prawn Fishery Management Advisory Committee in Perth, at the invitation of the members of that committee.
The success of this consultative process has led the Fisheries Division and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council to seek similar consultation with the Tiwi and Northern Land Councils. Consultation between the Tiwi Land Council and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council, along with the Fisheries Division, led to their invitation for my attendance at a Tiwi Land Council meeting last December. I am pleased to advise the establishment of the Tiwi Coastal Waters Consultative Committee. This committee met in Darwin on 4 August, and has begun to establish a process for consultation between government, and the commercial and recreational fishing sectors.
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In parallel with that process with the Tiwi Land Council, officers from the Fisheries Division and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council held discussions with Northern Land Council staff with the aim of establishing a similar process for consultation. These discussions led to an invitation for both groups to attend a full Northern Land Council meeting in order, among other things, to outline the process of consultation that had been established with the other land councils. These discussions led to the workshop on commercial fishing and Aboriginal interests in the sea to which the member referred in his question. This workshop was attended by 35 coastal Aboriginal people from most regions of the Northern Territory. Presentations were made by the chairman of the Northern Land Council, the director of Fisheries Division, the assistant director of Fisheries Division, the chairman of the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council, the superintendent of the Police Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit and a number of Aboriginal people from coastal regions, including Borroloola, Elcho Island, the Tiwi Islands and Croker Island. The outcomes of the workshop included a series of resolutions from the Aboriginal representatives which, among other things, included support for the continued process of consultation with the Fisheries Division and fishermen over coastal and fisheries management issues.
Members will recall that a specific allocation was made to my department in the recent budget to provide for the facilitation of this consultation process between Aboriginal people and the various fishing industry sectors. While matters of native title and claims of ownership of the seas and fisheries resources remain unresolved, all the participants in the consultation processes to date agree that they have been informative and productive, and they must continue. In addition to the broader issues that have been discussed, my department has facilitated discussions over regional issues between the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council and a number of communities, including Milingimbi, Wadeye and Elcho Island. It is proposed that the Fisheries Division will facilitate further consultation to establish one or more regional consultative committees with communities within coastal regions under the auspices of the Northern Land Council. My department is committed to working with Aboriginal people and the fishing industry to ensure effective communication between these groups, and to enhance each group's understanding of the other groups' positions.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, my department has played a key role in the promotion of dialogue between commercial fishing interests and coastal Aboriginal communities since the Turning of the Tide Conference in 1993. Following that conference, the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council and my department recognised the need for consultation with Aboriginal people, and it has gone to considerable effort and cost to promote that communication.
The Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council met with the Anindilyakwa people from Groote Eylandt following the conference and subsequently formed a consultative committee with assistance from the Fisheries Division of my department. The committee, which was endorsed by my predecessor, provides an opportunity for communication and discussion of fisheries matters between the Anindilyakwa people of the Groote Eylandt area, the DPIF, police, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority which manages the northern prawn fishery and, of course, the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council. It provides a means for Aboriginal people in the area to make representations to government and the fishing industry on resource management issues regarding the Groote area, and promotes cooperation between government agencies, fishermen and Aboriginal people. The 6 formal meetings held to date have been rotated between Darwin and Alyangula. All parties agree that the meetings have been productive, informative and held in a very cooperative atmosphere. Recently, senior ALC members attended a meeting of the Northern Prawn Fishery Management Advisory Committee in Perth, at the invitation of the members of that committee.
The success of this consultative process has led the Fisheries Division and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council to seek similar consultation with the Tiwi and Northern Land Councils. Consultation between the Tiwi Land Council and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council, along with the Fisheries Division, led to their invitation for my attendance at a Tiwi Land Council meeting last December. I am pleased to advise the establishment of the Tiwi Coastal Waters Consultative Committee. This committee met in Darwin on 4 August, and has begun to establish a process for consultation between government, and the commercial and recreational fishing sectors.
Page 789
In parallel with that process with the Tiwi Land Council, officers from the Fisheries Division and the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council held discussions with Northern Land Council staff with the aim of establishing a similar process for consultation. These discussions led to an invitation for both groups to attend a full Northern Land Council meeting in order, among other things, to outline the process of consultation that had been established with the other land councils. These discussions led to the workshop on commercial fishing and Aboriginal interests in the sea to which the member referred in his question. This workshop was attended by 35 coastal Aboriginal people from most regions of the Northern Territory. Presentations were made by the chairman of the Northern Land Council, the director of Fisheries Division, the assistant director of Fisheries Division, the chairman of the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council, the superintendent of the Police Marine and Fisheries Enforcement Unit and a number of Aboriginal people from coastal regions, including Borroloola, Elcho Island, the Tiwi Islands and Croker Island. The outcomes of the workshop included a series of resolutions from the Aboriginal representatives which, among other things, included support for the continued process of consultation with the Fisheries Division and fishermen over coastal and fisheries management issues.
Members will recall that a specific allocation was made to my department in the recent budget to provide for the facilitation of this consultation process between Aboriginal people and the various fishing industry sectors. While matters of native title and claims of ownership of the seas and fisheries resources remain unresolved, all the participants in the consultation processes to date agree that they have been informative and productive, and they must continue. In addition to the broader issues that have been discussed, my department has facilitated discussions over regional issues between the Northern Territory Fishing Industry Council and a number of communities, including Milingimbi, Wadeye and Elcho Island. It is proposed that the Fisheries Division will facilitate further consultation to establish one or more regional consultative committees with communities within coastal regions under the auspices of the Northern Land Council. My department is committed to working with Aboriginal people and the fishing industry to ensure effective communication between these groups, and to enhance each group's understanding of the other groups' positions.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016