The 1975 establishment of the Great Barrier Reef Marine park by the Australian government designated a large portion of the Great Barrier Reef as a protected area. It is the largest and most well-known coral reef in the world and home to a complex ecosystem that houses a variety of endangered species, many of which are endemic to the reef. Considered a natural wonder of the world for its immense beauty and biodiversity, its gradual decay due to water pollution, over-harvesting of resources, and climate change are shockingly apparent to the public as the effects of coral bleaching and species endangerment diminish the reef’s vibrancy.
However, the Great Barrier Reef isn’t just a pristine ecosystem protected from human activity. It also holds immense cultural and economic value to Australia’s indigenous communities.
The designation of protected areas and parks often run roughshod over indigenous communities’ wellbeing, as many of their traditional ownership rights over culturally significant landscapes are not considered within environmental regulation or policies. While conflict between indigenous rights and protective management guidelines are common historically across the globe, the Great Barrier Marine Park presents a different way of addressing the intersection between indigenous rights and environmental conservation.
A recent article titled “Indigenous protected areas in Sea Country: Indigenous‐driven collaborative marine protected areas in Australia”, analyzes a successful approach to management of marine protected areas within the Great Barrier Reef that is inclusive of indigenous people’s traditional ownership and usage of the reef through the Indigenous Protected Areas program.
Indigenous Protected Areas(IPAs) are defined by International Union for Conservation (IUCN) guidelines as “A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long‐term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values”. This model allows for protective management norms to be altered for inclusivity. The definitions of what is considered nature and how it should be managed at a large-scale organization like the IUCN’s level often ignore more holistic perspectives, leading to policies and long-term management plans that alienate indigenous community values from established practices. Because IPAs are community-driven, there is ample space provided for these communities to assert their own interpretations of how the IUCN defines a protected area and its management guidelines. Zoning of these areas as “Sea county”, a term that incorporates the rich history of sustainable usage of both land and sea by indigenous communities, better encompasses this broader and more inclusive natural landscape.
The Australian government’s approach to IPAs allows indigenous leaders themselves to lead the collaboration process by involving government agencies as needed when creating management plans and providing start-up funds to programs designed by indigenous groups.These communities define the objectives and values of managing relevant IPAs, and then invite collaboration from outside entities that share these values. Key factors to the success of IPAs have been this government support at both the federal and local level and the willingness for relevant parties to collaborate.
Map of Girringun Region Indigenous Protected Areas.
Source: Girringun
One successful example of these IPAs that the article focuses on are the Girringun Region IPAs. The Girringun Region IPAs are located along a complex section of both terrestrial and sea county in Northern Queensland, Australia. A variety of different stakeholders, including indigenous and non-indigenous peoples, have claims over the land. The area includes numerous national and state parks, fish habitat reserves and Aboriginal and Non-Aborignal owned private lands. Large-scale entities such as fishing and tourism industry representatives and environmental protection agencies also utilize these areas. It is operated by the community-led Girringun Aboriginal corporation who oversees the bringing together of these relevant stakeholders in designing complementary management plans that allow for recreational and commercial usage of these spaces in a way that does not harm their environment. They hire their own ranger staff that collaborate with partner agencies to enact these plans. A Through this, the Girringun Region IPA has created a collaborative management plan that provides the opportunity for traditional knowledge and cultural values to be respected in
The success of the IPA model within marine areas of Australia offers an interesting look into what collaborative governance within protected areas can look like across the globe. Aspects of these models could be applied to a variety of projects of different scales and types. The wellbeing of indigenous communities is tied to their ability to assert their ownership over these spaces and these communities have much to contribute to protected area policy when given space to govern.
Adaption of the U.S National Park Service’s current approach to protected area management, from one that is top-down to one that gives equal responsibility and recognition to governing parties on the local level, is difficult. But this is one successful example from abroad that provides hope for a collaborative future in management.