Draft Aboriginal Fishing Strategy

Download the PDF version of this document: Draft Aboriginal Fishing Strategy and explanatory notes

Also see the associated aboriginal fishing strategy explanatory notes

Fisheries Victoria recognises that Aboriginal people have a strong connection to country that is central to their culture, both traditionally and today. It is time to evolve how we manage Victoria’s fisheries to incorporate the rights, interests, aspirations and culture of Aboriginal people into both what we do and how we work. We also acknowledge the interests of commercial and recreational fishers to access the community’s fisheries resources.

To do this well will take time, but we are committed to working together with the Aboriginal community to sustainably manage fish resources in freshwater and saltwater country. The Victorian Aboriginal Fishing Strategy applies to all Aboriginal Victorians and will focus on achieving three key outcomes:

• Protection and recognition of Aboriginal customary fishing rights,
• Sustainable fisheries management in collaboration with Aboriginal communities, and
• Better economic opportunities for Aboriginal people in fishing and related industries.

Vision

Culturally informed, sustainable fisheries management that contributes to improving the wealth, capacity and wellbeing of Aboriginal people and communities in Victoria.

Principles that guide this work

Fisheries Victoria will:

1. Work in partnership with Victorian Aboriginal people as the first custodians of our saltwater and freshwater environments.
2. Recognise that all groups involved in this work have a mutual commitment to sustainability.
3. Recognise the need to develop structures of representation across Victorian Aboriginal communities to inform fisheries management.
4. Recognise that outcomes to benefi t Aboriginal communities can best be achieved through partnerships.
5. Commit to working with openness, fairness, transparency and trust.
6. Engage with Aboriginal Victorians in appropriate and meaningful ways.
7. Promote the economic opportunities that fishing industries could provide for the Aboriginal community.
8. Improve Aboriginal access to employment and training opportunities within our Fisheries Victoria team and the wider fisheries sector.
9. Ensure that this work is aligned with other relevant programs to enhance partnerships with Aboriginal communities, industries and agencies.
10. Recognise that this work will take a number of years, and a willingness to learn and adopt actions that work best.

Actions

Recognition

In Legislation

1. Recognise Aboriginal customary fishing as unique and separate to recreational fishing by:
   1. Exempting all Aboriginal Victorians from the requirement to hold a recreational fishing licence to fish for personal and domestic purposes.
   2. Amend the legislation to explicitly recognise Aboriginal customary fishing.
2. Amending the Fisheries Act to be consistent with the Native Title Act and to enable mechanisms under the Victorian Native Title Settlement Framework.

In Fisheries Victoria

3. Implement Aboriginal cultural competence training for staff.
4. Develop and implement engagement guidelines for Fisheries Victoria staff, incorporating the DPI ‘Welcome to Country’ protocol.
5. Work with Traditional Owners to integrate Aboriginal communities, culture and ecological knowledge into education programs.
6. Incorporate Aboriginal customary fishing into fisheries policy and management plans.

In Communities

7. Identify species of special significance to Aboriginal communities.
8. Produce culturally appropriate materials and products of relevance to Aboriginal people, and develop an ‘Aboriginal Fishing Guide’ which incorporates traditional fish names and stories.

Collaborative Management & Participation

Across Victoria

9. Establish and develop engagement protocols with Aboriginal community groups that support regular local meetings with Fisheries Victoria staff, enhancing meaningful participation in fisheries management and consultative processes.
10. Involve Traditional Owners in research and monitoring of fisheries resources.
11. Promote an understanding of Aboriginal customary fishing among commercial and recreational fishers.

In Communities

12. Ensure Aboriginal groups’ views and aspirations are equally represented in fisheries management plans.
13. Incorporate Aboriginal communities and customary fishing knowledge into fishing events.
14. Develop a link on DPI’s public website that provides a central information point for all stakeholders on the implementation of the Aboriginal Fishing Strategy.
15. Develop customary fishing plans with Traditional Owners throughout the State to allow collaborative management of fisheries resources on traditional country.
16. Train and facilitate Traditional Owners to enable implementation of customary fishing plans.

Economic Development

In Fisheries Victoria

17. Set a target to increase Aboriginal employment in Fisheries Victoria to 5%.
18. Develop and implement an Aboriginal cadetship program.
19. Utilise the services of Aboriginal businesses.
20. Facilitate linking Aboriginal groups with Commonwealth funding sources for pilot fisheries projects.

In the Fishing Industry

21. Work with the commercial and recreational fishing sectors to identify opportunities for Aboriginal employment and/or economic development.
22. Establish partnerships with education institutions to provide training opportunities in seafood industry skills.
23. Provide advice and assistance to Aboriginal initiatives in the seafood and aquaculture industries.
24. Explicitly consider Aboriginal community interests when allocating licences for new developing fisheries, particularly with respect to fishing activities aligned with traditional interests on country.

In Communities

25. Identify funding opportunities to develop an education and training program in partnership with Traditional Owners, supporting Aboriginal groups' interests in conservation and sustainability of fish resources.

Feedback Survey

If you are not able to attend a consultation meeting but would like to provide comment to the draft ‘Aboriginal Fishing Strategy’, please fill out this form.

Online Feedback Form