TSRA NEWS No.80 November 2006

Our Vision: To empower our people to determine their own affairs based on our unique Ailan Kastom bilong from which we draw our unity and strength. www.tsra.gov.au

Past Divers MrVincent Dorante, Mr Ali Drummond & Mr Henry "Seaman" Dan at "The First Pearlers" Exhibition opening The First Pearlers on Show at Gab Titui

The Torres Strait's rich maritime early 1900's, pearl shell from the Torres future generations to also learn of and history is being showcased at the Gab Strait had a large role in supporting the draw inspiration from. Titui Cultural Centre over the next economy of mainland Australia, and “Our Programs encourage local twelve months in an exciting was shipped to Europe where it was organisations and individuals to exhibition called, “The First Pearlers.” used to make products such as participate in cultural activities and The exhibition was opened on 19 buttons, cutlery and jewellery. exhibitions - we should all be proud of September by the Torres Strait “The skills of our divers were in our culture and history. Regional Authority's (TSRA) Portfolio demand, as they had an advantage “I would like to acknowledge the Member for Education, Training, over others - with their seafaring skills, efforts of all those involved in Employment and Art, Mr Jesse they could dive deeper and hold their compiling “The First Pearlers,” Sagaukaz, who said “The First breath longer. including past divers and their families, Pearlers” is an opportunity for the “However, it was a hard life for the Maritime Consultant Mr Peter Illidge, public, particularly the younger divers, they worked with little rest and Mr Vic McGrath, partner museums and generation, to learn of the region's many travelled on their luggers away the Gab Titui Cultural Centre staff. pearling history, which has shaped from home for long periods and some TorresStrait to what it is today. “If you happen to be on Thursday did not return. Island over the next 12 months, I invite “The exhibition highlights the “The Pearling Industry also brought you to visit the Centre and view this significance of the region's pearl shell, migrants to the region, with their exhibition - it is an important part of the from its use in Torres Strait culture to descendents now a part of TorresStrait Torres Strait's past that should be its important contribution to business today, making our modern society a remembered and commemorated,” and the early Australian economy,” Mr blend of different cultures. said Mr Sagaukaz. Sagaukaz said. “The TSRA recognises that it is “The First Pearlers” exhibition features “Our people were already harvesting important that we embrace our past model luggers, a digitally enhanced pearl-shell prior to European and heritage. photographic display, pearl shell and settlement and the Industry boom, for dive artefacts, dive equipment, a cultural purposes such as for “We support the recording and documentation of Torres Strait running documentary and recorded traditional trading, ornaments and stories from the pearling era. For more artefact making. Islander and Aboriginal history, as it is important that they are preserved for information, phone the Gab Titui “During the late 1800's through to the Cultural Centre on (07) 4090 2130.

CONTENTS

Gab Titui Presents:The First Pearlers 1 Torres Strait Represented in 3 “Tiger Tales” from the Tropical 4 Fisheries Update from TSRA 2 Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival Population Health Unit's Aedes Albopictus Chairperson - Mr Toshie Kris CRC Project Highlights: Seagrasses 4 Eradication Project Team are Important to Torres Strait 02. TSRA NEWS

Fisheries Update from TSRA Chairperson Mr Toshie Kris

consulted with them and the year. In the meantime, I would sought their views on like to encourage fishers to fishery matters. continue to work together with This was a good example their CFG representatives and to of direct Torres Strait consider how they would like to Islander involvement and see the region's fisheries managed. representation in the PZJA This includes management of the consultative process, and I Tropical Rock Lobster, Fin Fish wish to thank the six CFG Fisheries, and how to best share representatives for their the Indigenous fisher's quota valuable and constructive between communities. participation in the PZJA Your input can then be passed structure. through the CFG and the TSRA TSRA Chairperson, Mr Toshie Kris PZJA Meeting 20 Fisheries staff, and incorporated The Protected Zone Joint Authority into the PZJA consultative (PZJA) met with our Community On 26 October, the PZJA structure and future management Fisher Group (CFG) recently on Members met to formulate plans. By working together, we can to discuss current recommendations based on the determine the most appropriate issues in the Torres Strait Fisheries. discussions from the Stakeholder way to sustainably manage these As the Chairperson of the TSRA, I Forum. As mentioned previously, important resources. wish to update you on the work as the Chairperson of the TSRA, I For more information on the being progressed in this important am a Member of the PZJA and Portfolio of Marine and Fisheries, area. continued to represent the Torres you can contact the TSRA's Strait's aspirations during this Protected Zone Joint Authority Fisheries Coordinator Mr Toshio meeting. Nakata, by telephone 07 4069 0700 The PZJA Membership consists of The outcomes of this meeting will or toll free 1800 079 093. the Australian and not be released until the record of Alternatively, you can email Ministers for Fisheries, and myself discussions is signed by all the [email protected], or visit the TSRA as the Chairperson of the Torres PZJA Members, which is Office, first floor, Torres Strait Haus, Strait Regional Authority (TSRA). anticipated to be before the end of Victoria Parade, Thursday Island. From 25 to 26 October, Members of the PZJA met for the twentieth time, and held a Stakeholder Forum which included our CFG representatives, to talk about the region's fisheries. Stakeholder Forum The Stakeholder Forum was held on 25 October. This Forum was an opportunity for Stakeholders to discuss fisheries issues directly with the Australian and Queensland Fisheries Ministers and myself. Six members of the CFG attended the Forum to represent the interests of Torres Strait Community Fishers. They presented community concerns, and in turn, members of the PZJA Fin Fish from the region 03. TSRA NEWS

Torres Strait Represented in Melanesian Arts and Cultural Festival

From 2 to 10 October, fifteen Torres assist the Deep Sea Dancers to attend carvings, and learned of other Strait dancers travelled to Suva, Fiji, to this event. Melanesian cultures, as well as visiting participate in one of the largest “We encourage communities to some important Fijian sites. gatherings of the pacific's diverse and actively participate in events that “Some of our team members had culturally rich Melanesian people, the promote our culture, like cultural the opportunity to re-establish 2006 Melanesian Arts and Cultural festivals, ceremonial activities, dance connections with their Rotuman Festival. performance and art exhibitions. heritage, in fact the team was invited to The Torres Strait Regional Authority's “I would like to congratulate the Deep a Mamasa (welcoming) Ceremony, Chairperson (TSRA) Mr Toshie Kris, Sea Dance team for their hard work in performed by the 7 Rotuman Chiefs of said this was the first time that the learning and practicing their dances Suva. region was represented at the Festival and also for contributing to the “Our team thanked the Chiefs for the and the TSRA saw this as a great preservation, revitalisation and invitation and performed a Rotuman opportunity for local group, the Deep promotion of our region's traditions,” Taibobo dance, which was passed on Sea Dancers, to learn and experience Mr Kris said. to us from our Rotuman ancestors and other Melanesian cultures, as well as to is regularly performed in the Torres share and promote the TorresStrait. Team Leader of the Deep Sea Dancers,

oreyM Maria Ms Courtesy

ai,De e Dancers Sea Deep Tapim,

Fijian WarDancers (top, right) DayneNoah with friends from NewCaledonia (middle, right) Soloman Islands Bamboo Flute Band Dancers from Torres Strait'sDeep Sea Dancers (bottom, right)

“The Torres Strait is a unique part of the Ms May Passi, said the trip to Fiji was Strait, and to our surprise, the world, and we should be proud of our both an exciting and important learning Rotumans told us that over time, they ancestry and heritage, and I commend experience for the group. had lost that particular dance but were the Deep Sea Dancers for taking our “At the Festival, we were warmly pleased to see us carrying on this culture to the international arena and welcomed by the Melanesian tradition. showcasing our seafaring people,” community and for most of the other “The Festival was a very valuable said Mr Kris. participants, it was their first time to experience for the Deep Sea Dancers “In order to preserve our traditions, the meet and view and as Torres Strait Islanders, we were TSRA provides Programs to support traditional Meriam dancing,” said Ms proud to share our culture with our individuals and groups to help maintain Passi. fellow Melanesian friends and I would and revitalise our cultural practices and “Through-out the Festival, the men and like to thank the TSRA and the Australia on this occasion, the TSRA was women of our group performed Council for the Arts for their support in pleased to work in collaboration with traditional Meriam dances, exchanged making this visit possible,” said Ms the Australia Council for the Arts to cultural gifts such as Dharis, spears and Passi. 04. TSRA NEWS Project Highlights from CRC Torres Strait 2003-2006 Seagrasses are Important to Torres Strait CRC TORRES Torres Strait has 12 species of seagrasses in Torres of the information that will be used to STRAIT some of the most Strait, on reefs and sand in depths up to protect the Torres Strait environment if extensive seagrass 30 metres. Seagrasses are flowering a shipping accident occurs. meadows in northern plants but some species flower very If you would like more information on Australia. These meadows support infrequently. Some species may be very seagrasses and their ecological role, go populations of turtle, dugong, fish, small, while others can be very large to the Seagrass Watch website: lobster and prawns. Seagrass growth with leaves up to 1 metre long. The www.seagrasswatch.org. Alternatively and distribution is influenced by long- seagrass of Torres Strait grows very you can also contact CRC Torres term weather patterns such as floods fast, a full length leaf can grow in just a Strait by telephone (07) 4729 8400, and cyclones and the seagrass die-back couple of weeks. fax (07) 4729 8499, or you can events in north-western region of The most important animals that feed email [email protected] or visit Torres Strait are not yet fully on seagrass in the Torres Strait are www.crctorres.com. understood. dugong and green turtle, but many fish, Before research was started by the shellfish and other animals can also Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) include seagrass in their diet. A small Torres Strait, only broad scale maps of roundleafed seagrass species seagrass habitat were available for (Halophila ovalis) is the most nutritious. Torres Strait. This lack of information Dugongs prefer this seagrass made it difficult to manage these (especially the roots) to any other. important habitats properly or to make This research will improve our DPI&F Courtesy predictions of the potential effects of knowledge about the distribution and die-back events or shipping accidents. growth of Torres Strait seagrasses and Research by Queensland Department where the most nutritious food for of Primary Industries and Fisheries and dugong is located. Maps of seagrass CSIRO has found that there are around are now readily accessible and are part Adiver measuring seagrass productivity “Tiger Tales” from the Tropical Population Health Unit's Aedes Albopictus Eradication Project Team Community Mosquito Control the success of our project, the real test The mosquito control team has visited will be next wet season when St. Pauls, and Badu (Gah mosquito numbers are normally much Buth) twice and Kubin, Iama, Poruma, higher. Warraber, Masig, Erub, Ugar and Mer The graph below shows the reduction once. During these visits, Council's in the numbers ofAedes albopictus as environmental health worker has a result of treating these communities. assisted the team in treating mosquito Although Erub and Ugar have been breeding sites and in removing rubbish treated, the post control visit has not Mr. Jackson Ware, Environmental Health Worker on that may hold water after rain. been finalised at this stage. Kubin assists in destroying mosquitoes breeding in an old tyre.Tyres are a common breeding site for dengue The insecticide used to kill mosquitoes mosquitoes is extremely safe to people and pets but if you have any concerns, please Australian Biosecurity Co-operative telephone the Project Team Research Centre in on (07) 4041 2990 or The Australian Biosecurity Co- use other contact details operative Research Centre (AB:CRC) listed at the end of this story. has funded a project under the Five to six weeks after leadership of Dr. Andrew van den Hurk, treatments, the Scientific Queensland Health Scientific Services, Team visits each community which will study the behaviour of in order to collect Aedes albopictus. It is hoped that the mosquitoes to see if study will determine the origin of the treatment has been effective. Torres StraitAedes albopictus, what These mosquito collections diseases it may possibly transmit and show that the numbers of Ae. For further information on the Aedes where it might breed. albopictus are lower than before Albopictus Eradication Project, TheAedes albopictus Eradication treatment and there is a small amount Contact the Tropical Population Health Project will be assisting the CRC of breeding within communities. Unit by telephone (07) 4041 2990, fax project by collecting mosquito As a bonus, we have not collected (07) 4041 4923 or you can write to the specimens in the Torres Strait and adult or larvalAe. Aegypti in these team at, PO Box 1103, Cairns, generally with their field visits. collections. Whilst this is promising for Queensland, 4870.

BUSINESS ADDRESS CONTACT DETAILS 1st Floor,Torres Strait Haus PO Box 261,Thursday Island Queensland 4875 Telephone:(07) 4069 0700 Victoria Parade www.tsra.gov.au Fax: (07) 4069 1879 Thursday Island [email protected] Toll Free Number: 1800 079 093