Mabuiag Land and Sea Profile

Home , Mabuiag, Mabuiag Island, Moa Island (Queensland), Torres Strait

RANGER GROUP

Rangers 2015

MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES

LAND • Native plants and animals • Land patrol • Feral animals • B urning • Weeds • Coastal management OVERVIEW (beach patrol) • Native Nursery

Traditional island name Mabuiag SEA Western name Jervis • Sea patrol • Seagrass Western Islands Cluster Maluilgal Nation • Turtle and dugong • Crocodiles Local government TSIRC & TSC

Registered Native Title Goelmulgaw (TSI) PEOPLE • Traditional ecological knowledge Body Corporate (RNTBC) Corporation RNTBC • Traditional and cultural sites (including IPA) Land type Continental Island • Community involvement Air distance from • Research support 71 Thursday Island (km)

Area (ha) 648 KEY VALUES

Indicative max length (km) 4 CLIMATE CHANGE RISK

Indicative max breadth (km) 3 Vulnerability to sea level rise (+1.0m) Medium

Max elevation (m) 150 Sea level rise response options High Healthy sea Marine water Coral reefs Seagrass Dugong Marine turtles Coastline length (km) 13 ecosystems quality meadows

Population 261 (2011 ABS Census)

Area of island zoned 63 development (ha) Subsistence Healthy land Sustainable Coasts Mangroves Coastal birds fishing ecosystems human settlements and beaches and wetlands Area of disturbed / 69 (10.6%) / undisturbed vegetation (ha/%) 579 (89.4%) Supporting the Land and Sea Management Strategy for Torres Strait COMMUNITY OVERVIEW FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS Mabuiag is a small (648ha) continental island The Mabuiag community is highly reliant on air transport, diesel powered electricity generation and barge transport in the Western Islands Cluster of the Torres Recent land and sea management achievements include: of supplies and materials to and from the community. ○ Community-based dugong and turtle management plan in place Strait about 71km north of Thursday Island. Renewable energy options will be explored to reduce Mabuiag Island (population 261) is a granitic ○ Ranger group established and Rangers implementing activities under Working on Country plans carbon emissions and work towards energy independence. island and a remnant of the chain of islands ○ Community participation in inter-tidal and sub-tidal seagrass monitoring and training activities forming part of the Australian Great Dividing Range. The community is located on a coastal ○ Community participation in the Sustainable Horticulture Project, including the establishment of a school garden and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT community fruit tree planting flat on the southeast side of the island. Mabuygiw Rangers engage with the community through ○ Ranger and RNTBC participation in the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) project, including training in the frequent community notices and ranger talks, community The topography consists of steep hills use of the TEK database system participation in ranger activities, and an annual (highest point 150m) covered with scattered community celebration and report back. This ensures ○ Community participation in joint research process with CSIRO and TSRA on community resilience to climate change forest and light scrub areas, with low- land and sea management activities remain relevant to lying regions tending towards swamp and community priorities. mangroves. More than 89% of the island is MAIN THREATENING PROCESSES CLIMATE CHANGE PROFILE covered in undisturbed vegetation. SOME OF MABUIAG’S IMPORTANT Native title is recognised over Mabuiag and is The main threatening processes affecting the Mabuygiw Climate change in the Torres Strait will involve a warming ANIMALS & PLANTS land and sea management area relate to climate change, of air and sea temperatures, rising sea levels, more severe held in trust by the Goelmulgaw (Torres Strait the spread of pest plants and animals, and declining weather events, ocean acidification and some changes Islander) Corporation RNTBC. water quality (including marine debris and increasing to rainfall patterns, evaporation, wind and ocean currents. sedimentation). These changes are predicted to have long-term impacts on all of the region’s key values across the Land, Sea and LAND AND SEA MANAGEMENT AREA People themes. Mabuiag has a ‘medium’ vulnerability rating LAND AND SEA MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES The Mabuygiw land and sea management area includes to sea level rise and a ‘high’ response options rating (there a number of uninhabited islands, reefs and marine areas Fifteen management priorities under the themes of Land, are good options to move to a safer site on the island). (see map) covering about 448,011 ha. The area includes Sea, and People are identified in the Mabuygiw Working on A rise of 100 cm will start to cause significant tidal Beach Stone-curlew Macleay’s Rainbow Skink Photo: Terry Reis Photo: Ian Gynther the second Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) declared in Country Ranger Plan. There are 3 Ranger positions (2015). inundation of the community. For more information on the Torres Strait (Pulu Islet IPA), adjacent to Mabuiag and The Mabuygiw Rangers will continue to work closely with climate change, please see the Torres Strait Climate declared in 2009. the community on priority projects including dugong Change Strategy 2014-2018. and turtle management, protecting significant cultural WARAL KAWA (DELIVERANCE) ISLAND TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE CALONIA REEF sites, preserving Traditional BURU (TURNAGAIN) ISLAND ADRIAN REEF Ecological Knowledge, and The Mabuiag community is working to protect Traditional

AWAIAL KAWA (KERR/KISS) ISLET managing pests and fire. Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for future generations. The AIDAL MAZA (AIDAI REEF) TEK system enables communities to access information Buzamaar Noni Plum or Cheesefruit NUMAR (REEF) for their own cultural maintenance; support sustainable Photo: Melinda McLean Photo: Michael Hermann, Wikimedia Commons DUGONG AND TURTLE community based environmental management BEKA (REEF) GABBA (GERBAR) MANAGEMENT approaches; and allows Indigenous Rangers’ planning ISLAND KOEY MAZA (KAI REEF) The Mabuiag community are and on-ground cultural and natural resource management FURTHER INFORMATION POLIN activities to be informed by Ailan Kastom (Island Custom). GOERARAI (GARIAR REEF) (HASTINGS REEF) actively implementing the For more information, visit the Mabuiag Dugong and Turtle TSRA website at http://www.tsra.gov.au and the MABUIAG ISLAND ANUI (REEF) Management Plan 2011-2016, COMMUNITY HORTICULTURE PASSAGE ISLAND that is built on the vision: Torres Strait eAtlas http://ts.eatlas.org.au/ts KUIKI PAD REEF PROVIDENCE SHOAL The Mabuiag community has an active food producing “The Goemulgau vision for TEKAY (WATSON CAY) community gardening program in place to preserve SARBAI (BOND ISLET) dugong and turtle management BADU traditional gardening skills and support greater community ISLAND in Goemulgau sea country SAURAZ (SUARJI/BURKE) self-sufficiency in food production. The Mabuygiw ISLAND is the ‘sustainability of sea MOA ISLAND Rangers have played a role in the community nursery for Turtle and Dugong Management Area GITALAI based resources and the (GETULLAI/POLE) ISLAND Mabuygiw propagation of native plants for revegetation projects. MAITAK ISLAND TUIN reinforcement of traditional Badu-Mabuiag (BARNEY) ISLAND MATU (WHALE) ISLAND NAGHIR (MOUNT ERNEST) ISLAND values, cultural protocols and

This map is based on existing dugong and turtle management areas and shows the general areas of operation for community-based ethics for the traditional people land and sea Rangers. Best available information (including traditional place names) has been used at the time of publication. This of Mabuiag.” map is indicative only and not intended for native title purposes.