Yanyuwa Sea Country Planning and Management

Yanyuwa people will be supported to engage in an Indigenous-led sea country planning process to develop a sea country management plan. Cultural, ecological and socioeconomic data will be synthesised to establish an understanding of issues to be addressed through management. This process will engage government and the NLC to ensure it’s comprehensive. The key output is a Yanyuwa SCMP with a nuanced schema of protection and zoning (for cultural, environmental, socio-economic purposes) governed by Yanyuwa law and reflective of contemporary custodian views. Elders and families will provide instructions about their country, which the SRU will then work with key government agencies to implement. Yanyuwa sea country is the most significant area for dugongs in the NT and important for 6 species of turtle, 4 dolphin species, and sawfish - all culturally significant under Yanyuwa law. A bothways knowledge process is used to identify places vulnerable to pressures or processes e.g., climate change. Existing data will be collated for
Yanyuwa to consider when devising management strategies ensuring values can be accounted for and protected. Consultation will focus on Yanyuwa governance through engaging Junkayi and Ngimarringki of clans and significant species. Prof Bradley and Dr Adgemis are familiar with the data and consultation needs and their role fulfils the critical task of documenting Yanyuwa law in a way that can be used as the foundation for the SCMP and uploaded to an interactive database for Yanyuwa families.