Recognizing culturally significant species and Indigenous‐led management is key to meeting international biodiversity obligations

• Published in: Conservation letters Vol. 15; no. 6
• Main Authors: Goolmeer, Teagan, Skroblin, Anja, Grant, Chrissy, Leeuwen, Stephen, Archer, Ricky, Gore‐Birch, Cissy, Wintle, Brendan A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.11.2022; Wiley
• Subjects: Australia; biocultural indicators; Biodiversity; biodiversity conservation; collaborative management; comanagement; Community ecology; Convention on Biological Diversity; Conventions; Culture; Ecological effects; Empowerment; Environmental policy; governance; Indigenous Knowledge; Indigenous peoples; Indigenous species; Knowledge; laws and regulations; Legislation; Native peoples; Native rights; policy; reform; Sustainable development; Wildlife conservation; Australia
• ISSN: 1755-263X; 1755-263X
• DOI: 10.1111/conl.12899

Increasingly the importance of Indigenous participation is acknowledged as central to effective biodiversity conservation. Traditional management emphasizes the importance of a holistic, integrated approach to safeguard species and ecological communities of cultural significance. This is discordant with many instruments for biodiversity conservation. Indigenous Australians have consistently lobbied for domestic laws to be amended to establish comanagement as the preferred approach to managing significant species and ecological communities – an approach that aligns with international obligations such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. We describe amendments to Australia's biodiversity legislation and the use of biocultural indicators that would support Traditional management of Culturally Significant Entities (species and ecological communities), and in turn, assist Australia to effectively conserve biodiversity and meet international obligations. The ongoing challenge will be in empowering Indigenous peoples and their governance structures to implement enduring change.