Co-Managed Research as a Strategy for Informing the Development of Indigenous and Government Management Partnerships over the Great Barrier Reef

Abstract

"Two sets of property rights and responsibilities overlap in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area: Indigenous Australians sea country; and Australian national and State co-operative governance of the area as a multiple use Marine Protected Area. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park also has a regime of reasonable multiple use based upon the application of a zoning and permitting system administered by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Managing to provide opportunity for multiple use provides a wide variety of stakeholders the opportunity to use and enjoy the area whilst at the same time protecting its natural values. Following a series of calls from Indigenous meetings and groups, The Ministerial Council for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park is currently considering whether and if so how to embrace co-operative management with Indigenous people as a management strategy for the park. There are already limited localised initiatives in this direction, and indigenous participation in the parks dugong and turtle management plan.

"A research project has been initiated to develop a framework for potential co-management of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, capable of accommodating the variety of forms of co-management possible (wildlife and fisheries, habitat, and regional) and local variations in demand and circumstances. It also seeks to inform the prospective parties of their possibilities, by bringing them information about overseas and Australian co-management experiences. This will come from literature review, and case studies of Queensland experiences in developing resource management partnerships between Indigenous people and agencies. "The project is jointly managed through representatives - by a collective of Indigenous traditional owners, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and the research team. This paper describes the logic and strategy of co-managed research being adopted by the project, and its importance given the sensitivities of Indigenous, scientific, and shared knowledges as a foundation for successful co-management."