Tiwi islanders have defied the Northern Territory Government and started controlling fishing grounds in a move that could set limits for amateur and professional fishermen, as well as for boating. Last year High Court has issued verdict by giving traditional owners rights over Blue Mud Bay, so the Tiwi Land Council started advertising for submissions on how the area should be managed, including the allocation of licences.
The Court decided despite the Territory Government’s insistence last year that it should control licence allocation. The council has written to Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, saying it will not wait for the Territory Government to manage the process, but will take control itself.
The land council informed that the landowners themselves must develop their own management plans for these extended water areas now legally attached to their land. Tiwi Land Council chairman Robert Tipungwuti opined that the Tiwi had a Natural Resource Management Plan in place since 2003, which would now be extended to cover coastal waters in line with the High Court ruling.
Tipungwuti explained that the council was particularly interested in comment from organisations representing amateur and professional fishermen, the trailer boat and sailing clubs and the Territory Government. Tipungwuti said his organisation had had enough of how the Territory Government managed their land. He added that they want to manage it better than the Territory Government has managed it.
