Current fishing situation.

[Alex DavisParticipant]

Hi just wondering what the current fishing situation is for the Yirrganydji people as a whole

[Rachel AlfordKeymaster]

Hi Alex,

Thanks for your question. It’s a pretty broad question so it’s a little tricky to answer – are you able to define it a little bit further? 

For example, it’s hard to talk about Yirrganydji people as a whole, as with any community it is made up of individuals. Not all Yirrganydji people live on Yirrganydji Country, for example, so did you want to ask about the people who are on Yirrganydji Country?
Also, can you be a bit more specific about what you mean by ‘fishing situation’, as it’s a bit vague as to what information you’re looking for. Are you looking for information about the fishing industry in Yirrganydji Country, or how Yirrganydji people engage with fishing right now? 

A little bit more information will enable me to provide a more accurate answer for you. In general, fishing is a very popular recreational past-time for Yirrganydji people living in the area, with both on-shore and off-shore (ie by boat) popular with people in areas such as Dungarra.

If you’re able to let me know a bit more specifically what kind of information you’re after, I’ll be able to hopefully provide some more accurate information.

Thanks!
Rachel

[Yaakov JurkowiczParticipant]

I’m not sure what Alex meant, but I would be interested in the current aquaculture that Yirrganydji people living on Yirrganydji Country are using and have access to. The design brief mentions that current methods are unsustainable, what are the current methods obtaining fish by the community? Why are they unsustainable? What barriers are preventing the Yirrganydji people from using traditional designs?

[Simon CorrieParticipant]

Indeed, I would be interested to know if Yrriganydji people are currently able to undertake traditional fishing practices under the current TUMRA or if they have other permits that allow this. Beyond fishing permits or approvals for individual use, are there any commercial fishing licenses held, or trial licenses provided under the Department of Fisheries, etc, that are apparently available for first nations communities. In other words, are community members living on country currently able to, or interested in, selling fish and other marine animals to broader markets.

[Jean AquindeKeymaster]

Hi Yaakov and Simon,

In practice, the Yirrganydji people typically fish for recreational purposes and Dawul Wuru don’t have any existing aquaculture methods. In the design brief, the phrase ‘existing approaches inappropriate’ refers to existing aquaculture practices more broadly, not specifically in Yirrganydji Country. If you haven’t explored it, the QLD government has a great resource about existing aquaculture operations. These current practices are inappropriate for Dawul Wuru for a number of reasons.

Dawul Wuru aim to introduce aquaculture to create opportunities to connect with culture and community and create economic opportunities for Yirrganydji people while promoting their cultural heritage. The design brief mentioned that they are interested in aquaculture methods with low environmental impact and high yield and to incorporate designs inspired by traditional Yirrganydji fish traps.

In addition, you can find our answer to a similar question to yours here and here.

I hope this helps your team move forward with your research.

All the best,
Jean

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