NAILSMA > Publications > Reports > Dugong and marine turtle project > “Always part of us” Socioeconomic study of Indigenous customary use and management of dugong and marine turtles

“Always part of us”: The socioeconomics of Indigenous customary use and management of dugong and marine turtles—a view from Bardi and Jawi sea country, Western Australia

Purpose and background

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Under the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) Dugong and Marine Turtle Project, Traditional Owners from across northern Australia have joined forces to develop community-driven approaches to the sustainable management of dugong and marine turtles. This report was requested by NAILSMA to support and document some of the efforts undertaken by Indigenous land and sea managers. It aims to document the socioeconomics of—that is, the social, cultural and economic values of, and factors influencing—Indigenous customary use and management of dugong and marine turtles. Understanding these socioeconomic values and influences is critical to the development of effective policies and programs by government and effective community-based management by Traditional Owners in pursuit of a shared vision of healthy and sustainable populations of dugong and marine turtles that support Indigenous livelihoods. While the report summarises information from across northern Australia, collaborative research undertaken by the Bardi Jawi Rangers and the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) forms the basis of a detailed case study.

This project is supported by NAILSMA, through funding from the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country.