Collaborative research partnerships inform monitoring and management of aquatic ecosystems by Indigenous rangers

• Published in: Reviews in fish biology and fisheries Vol. 26; no. 4; pp. 711 - 725
• Main Authors: Dobbs, Rebecca J., Davies, Christy L., Walker, Michelle L., Pettit, Neil E., Pusey, Bradley J., Close, Paul G., Akune, Yoshi, Walsham, Ninjana, Smith, Brendan, Wiggan, Albert, Cox, Preston, Ward, Douglas P., Tingle, Fiona, Kennett, Rod, Jackson, Micha V., Davies, Peter M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.12.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Analysis; Aquatic ecosystems; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Case studies; Collaboration; Community; Ecology; Ecosystem management; Environmental management; Environmental monitoring; Fisheries; Fisheries management; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Knowledge; Life Sciences; Local communities; Native peoples; Natural resource management; Questionnaires; Research Paper; Studies; Wetland management; Wetlands; Zoology; Australia, Western Australia, Kimberley; ISW, Australia, Western Australia; Indigenous ecological knowledge; Kimberley; Traditional knowledge; Indigenous wetland management; Wetlands
• ISSN: 0960-3166; 1573-5184
• DOI: 10.1007/s11160-015-9401-2

Aquatic ecosystems are critical to the long-term viability and vibrancy of communities and economies across northern Australia. In a region that supports significant cultural and ecological water values, partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders can benefit aquatic ecosystem management. We present, as a case study from the Kimberley region of Western Australia, a collaborative research program that successfully documented Indigenous and Western Scientific knowledge of remote wetlands, using a variety of field-based activities, questionnaires, interviews and workshops. The sharing of knowledge between Indigenous and non-Indigenous research partners facilitated a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem values, threats, processes, management priorities and aspirations. These formed the basis of a management plan and monitoring tools, designed to build the capacity of an Indigenous ranger group to engage in research, monitoring and management of wetlands. The project provides a useful example of the benefits of collaborations in the context of remote-area management where local communities are responsible for environmental management and monitoring, such as is the case in northern Australia and presumably other areas of the world.