Hunting debate: NLC chief Joe Morrison tells Government to stop politicising traditional sea turtle, dugong hunts
Updated
The head of a powerful land council is calling on the Federal Government to stop politicising the issue of traditional Indigenous hunting of sea turtles, dugong and other animals.
Chief executive of the Northern Land Council, Joe Morrison, has said that if there was a problem with the traditional hunting of the animals, the solution should lie with local communities.
"I think the first thing is to stop politicising the issue and come up with a pragmatic and practical solution in part with Aboriginal communities who have got the most to lose if turtles and dugongs become extinct," Mr Morrison said.
The Federal Government has recently flagged greater regulations of Indigenous hunting practices.
Last month Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg reportedly accepted a request by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to investigate complaints that endangered species were being subjected to cruelty.
Concerns animals killed for commercial purposes
Traditional hunting has been a hot political topic over the years, with concerns raised by Indigenous leaders in northern Queensland more than a decade ago that dugong hunting was getting out of control and a Northern Territory social club two years ago forced to abandon plans to serve sea turtle and dugong during a week that was supposed to celebrate Indigenous culture.
Mr Morrison also responded to claims that animals had been killed solely for commercial purposes, in apparent contravention of the Native Title Act.
He said the issue had been raised several times over the years by various governments and there needed to be a different approach to the issue that clearly identified the difference between traditional and commercial hunting.
Solutions offered by Mr Morrison included giving more powers to local Indigenous rangers so they could enforce the law within their communities.
"At the end of the day I think the solution has got to be at the local level," he said.
Advocates for restrictions over the years have included environmental and animal activist groups and Bob Irwin, the father of deceased Australian wildlife proponent Steve Irwin.
Entsch reportedly showed photos of mutilated turtles to party
Mr Morrison also responded to media reports last month that Liberal MP Warren Entsch had questioned why Australia has been so quick to oppose Japanese whaling, but not Indigenous hunting traditions, and showed mutilated photos of sea turtles to the Coalition party room.
"We make a lot of noise about the Japanese whaling, but all these conservation groups, when it comes to this sort of thing, are absolutely mute," Mr Entsch reportedly said in October.
Mr Morrison said he had words with Mr Entsch in years gone by about the politician's use of language in relation to the issue.
"I think it's not doing the issue any good and I think it's poor leadership on Warren Entsch's part to be putting such suggestions out there in the public domain," Mr Morrison said.
"I think it's totally inappropriate."
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, endangered-and-protected-species, nt, qld, torres-strait-islands
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