Mua Land and Sea Profile RANGER GROUP Rangers 2015 MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES LAND • Ecological survey • Feral animals • Weeds • Burning • Community garden OVERVIEW • Native nursery Traditional island name Mua SEA Western name Banks • Turtle and dugong • Crocodiles Western Islands Cluster Maluilgal Nation • Marine debris Local government TSIRC & TSC Registered Native Title Mualgal (TSI) PEOPLE Body Corporate (RNTBC) Corporation RNTBC • Research support • Community involvement Land type Continental Island • Traditional ecological knowledge Air distance from • Traditional and cultural sites 40 Thursday Island (km) Area (ha) 17164 KEY VALUES Indicative max length (km) 17 CLIMATE CHANGE RISK Indicative max breadth (km) 16 Vulnerability to sea level rise (+1.0m) Medium Max elevation (m) 370 Sea level rise response options High Healthy sea Marine water Coral reefs Seagrass Dugong Marine turtles Coastline length (km) 59 ecosystems quality meadows Population 420 (2011 ABS Census) Area of island zoned NA development (ha) Subsistence Healthy land Sustainable Coasts Mangroves Coastal birds fishing ecosystems human settlements and beaches and wetlands Area of disturbed / 424 (2.5%) / undisturbed vegetation (ha/%) 16740 (97.5%) Supporting the Land and Sea Management Strategy for Torres Strait COMMUNITY OVERVIEW FUTURE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS Mua is a very large (17,164ha) continental island The Mua communities are highly reliant on air transport, Recent land and sea management achievements include: in the Western Islands Cluster of the Torres diesel powered electricity generation and barge transport of supplies and materials to and from the community. Strait about 40km north of Thursday Island. ○ Community-based dugong and turtle management plan in place Renewable energy options will be explored to reduce Mua (population 420) is a granitic island and a ○ Ranger group established and Rangers implementing activities under Working on Country plans carbon emissions and work towards energy independence. remnant of the chain of islands forming part of ○ Community participation in inter-tidal and sub-tidal seagrass monitoring and training activities the Australian Great Dividing Range. There are two communities on Mua - Kubin and St Pauls - ○ Community participation in the Sustainable Horticulture Project, including the establishment of a school garden and COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT located about 15km apart on the southwestern community fruit tree planting Mua Lagalgau Rangers engage with the community and eastern sides of the island respectively. ○ Feral animal management, including pig trapping through frequent community notices and ranger talks, community participation in ranger activities, and an annual The topography of Mua consists of steep rugged ○ Weed mapping and management activities community celebration and report back. This ensures hills including Mt Augustus (370m), the highest ○ Ranger and RNTBC participation in the Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) project, including training in the land and sea management activities remain relevant to point in the Torres Strait. The hills comprise use of the TEK database system community priorities. gravelly clay and rocky outcrops and are covered with open and closed forest, with melaleuca SOME OF MUA’S IMPORTANT (tea trees) on lower slopes near the coast. MAIN THREATENING PROCESSES CLIMATE CHANGE PROFILE ANIMALS & PLANTS More than 97% of the island is covered in undisturbed vegetation. The main threatening processes affecting the Mua land and Climate change in the Torres Strait will involve a warming sea management area relate to climate change, the spread of air and sea temperatures, rising sea levels, more severe Native title is recognised over Mua and is held of pest plants and animals, and declining water quality weather events, ocean acidification and some changes in trust by the Mualgal (Torres Strait Islander) (including marine debris and increasing sedimentation). to rainfall patterns, evaporation, wind and ocean currents. Corporation RNTBC. These changes are predicted to have long-term impacts LAND AND SEA MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES on all of the region’s key values across the Land, Sea and People themes. Kubin has a ‘very low’ vulnerability rating Thirteen management priorities under the themes of to sea level. St Pauls has a ‘low’ vulnerability rating to sea LAND AND SEA MANAGEMENT AREA Emerald Monitor Fawn Leafnosed-bat Land, Sea, and People are identified in the (draft) Mua level and both communities have a ‘high’ response options Photo: Tim Vickers, Wikimedia Commons Photo: Ian Gynter The Mua land and sea management area includes a Working on Country Ranger Plan. There are 6 Ranger rating (there are good options to move to a safer site on number of uninhabited islands, reefs and marine areas (see positions (as at 2015). The Mua Lagalgau Rangers will the island). For Kubin sea level would need to rise more map). The Mualgal (Kubin/St Pauls) Dugong and Turtle continue to work closely with both communities on priority than 300 cm, and for St Pauls a rise of 90 cm before sea Management Area covers about 194,357ha. projects including dugong and turtle management, level rise causes regular inundation. For more information protecting significant cultural on climate change, please see the Torres Strait Climate sites, preserving Traditional KUIKU PAD REEF Change Strategy 2014-2018. PROVIDENCE SHOAL Ecological Knowledge, and managing pests and fire. WATSON CAY TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE BOND REEF Cooktown Orchid Manilkara kanosienisis IEM (NORTH POSSESSION ISLAND) The Mua communities are working to protect Traditional Photo: John Hill, Wikimedia Commons Photo: David Stanton ZAGARSUM (TOBIN ISLAND) DUGONG AND TURTLE PINNACE REEF Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for future generations. The BADU ISLAND KULBI MANAGEMENT (PORTLOCK ISLAND) TEK system enables communities to access information FURTHER INFORMATION SUARJI ISLAND The Mua communities are for their own cultural maintenance; support sustainable MOA ISLAND actively implementing the For more information, visit the GETULLAI ISLAND community based environmental management Mua Dugong and Turtle approaches; and allows Rangers’ planning and on-ground TSRA website at http://www.tsra.gov.au and the MAITAK ISLAND TUIN (BARNEY) Management Plan (2011-2016), cultural and natural resource management activities to be ISLAND NAGHEER that is built on the Mualgal informed by Ailan Kastom (Island Custom). Torres Strait eAtlas http://ts.eatlas.org.au/ts (MOUNT ERNEST) ISLAND MATU (WHALE) ISLAND Traditional Owners’ vision: LONG REEF “To maintain proactive use of COMMUNITY HORTICULTURE MUKNAB ROCK dhangal ar waru resources and WARRAL TRAVERS ISLAND The St Pauls community has an active food producing ULUI (WEST) ISLAND (HAWKESBURY) ISLAND fauna within the sea boundaries of community garden in place to preserve traditional the Mualgal nation (Near Western NORTH TORRES REEF gardening skills and support greater community self- Islands) to protect, preserve and Turtle and Dugong Managment Area sufficiency in food production. The Regional Landcare educate the traditional ways of Badu-Moa Facilitator has played a leading role in the establishment Maulgal hunting and livelihood of our and maintenance of the community garden, with support traditional ancestors and to This map is based on existing dugong and turtle management areas and shows the general areas of operation for community-based from the Mua Lagalgau Rangers land and sea Rangers. Best available information (including traditional place names) has been used at the time of publication. This ensure dhangal ar waru is here for map is indicative only and not intended for native title purposes. the next generation.”.