United Nations endorses groundbreaking WA marine conservation project

A collaboration between Yawuru Traditional Owners and Murdoch University aimed at advancing ocean sustainability has received official endorsement from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a UN Ocean Decade Action. Announced on October 25, the research project will monitor the management of green turtle and dugong populations in Roebuck Bay over the next four years to provide a case study on how to effectively co-manage marine resources cross-culturally. Project co-lead Dr Adrian Gleiss said marine environments held shared resources accessed by a whole range of stakeholders with very different interests and responsibilities which can create barriers to effective management. “We are concentrating on Roebuck Bay and working with both joint managers — the Yawuru Traditional Owners and the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions — to create a thorough understanding of the social, cultural and ecological forces that influence and inform local, national and global conservation practices,” he said. “We recognise the value, skills, knowledge and lived experience of Indigenous land managers, and this project is an opportunity to merge western science and traditional knowledge, which is really important for effective two-way knowledge sharing.” Yawuru project co-lead Dean Matthews said the research would identify and document areas of Roebuck Bay with importance for customary practices surrounding the use of these marine resources, as well as identify areas of importance for recreational activities within the marine park. “Together, this will help identify what management practices can be used to ensure the cultural, recreational, social and environmental values of the marine park are managed sustainably now and into the future,” he said. Science Minister Stephen Dawson said having endorsement under the Ocean Decade would help foster an international collaborative response to assisting with our marine science issues as well as showcase the State’s science expertise. The research team plans to host national and international forums, welcoming participation from Indigenous and non-Indigenous managers and researchers. International researchers from Kenya, New Zealand, Alaska and Greenland have already expressed their interest in the project, indicating its potential for global collaboration and impact in advancing ocean sustainability.