Indigenous fishing practices in the spotlight

A business case case exploring the benefits of Indigenous Tasmanian access to wild-caught abalone is in development.

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A BUSINESS case exploring the benefits of Indigenous Tasmanian access to wild-caught abalone is in development.

Currently, it is illegal for Tasmania’s Aboriginal people to harvest or on-sell cultural catches of abalone and other high-value seafood.

Palawa elder and co-chair of the Tasmanian Indigenous group TRACA, Rodney Dillon, hopes to have these historical restrictions overturned.

He says cultural people should have access to abalone caught from local waterways in order to continue practising their belief systems.

Rodney Dillon, co-chair of Indigenous group TRACA. Mr Dillon is calling on the State Government to allow indigenous groups to on-sell cultural catches of abalone and other high-value seafood. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

He also wants his group to have a say in the management of the state’s abalone fisheries, with the aim of creating a more sustainable industry.

“These fish belonged to us for thousands of years and that’s been taken away and they don’t even involve us in the management of it,” he said. “I’ve been talking to Government about this issue for thirty years.”

Mr Dillon says a return of rights to catch abalone would give his group a level of self-determination in how they practice their culture.

“It’s about Indigenous rights to the resource. It’s about respecting those rights and the rights to practise our culture,” said John Clark, chairperson of the Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Incorporated.

TRACA’s business case to have access to 40 abalone units – or quota – is being developed by corporate Commonwealth entity ILSC (the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation) and is built on research findings by former IMAS academic and trawlwulwuy woman Emma Lee.

The abalone units, known as the Furneau quota, are State Government-controlled licences distributed annually to the highest bidder. They are additional to the near 3500 total licenses sold each year to those with commercial and recreational fishing interests. The approximate annual value of the collective 40 quota is an estimated $900,000.

Rodney Dillon, co-chair of Indigenous group TRACA. Mr Dillon is calling on the State Government to allow indigenous groups to on-sell cultural catches of abalone and other high-value seafood. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

Access to the Furneau quota by TRACA would put ownership of a cultural food back in the hands of Indigenous Tasmanians.

Dr Lee, researcher and author of Wave to Plate: Establishing a market for cultural fisheries in Tasmania says the cultural implications of having access to the abalone quota goes far beyond having “a feed”.

“We can transform fisheries from being just profit to having social impact. It’s about employment and business. It’s about young people and reducing juvenile justice by creating employment paths for our youth. It’s about hearing the voices of Aboriginal people and working with government to support our rights,” Dr Lee said.

“Our food sovereignty is really important. Our identity as Tasmanians is tied up in food and we don’t want to lose that thread. The guiding approach has been to work together so we can link owning quota to ensuring livelihoods so our kids don’t end up in jail.”

Guy Barnett, minister for primary industries and water, expects to release an analysis of his department’s findings on the topic in early 2021. Mr Barnett’s report is independent from the ILSC business case.