ResearchOnline@JCU This file is part of the following reference: Smith, Andrew John (1987) An ethnobiological study of the usage of marine resources by two Aboriginal communities on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. PhD thesis, James Cook University of North Queensland. Access to this file is available from: http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/33712/ If you believe that this work constitutes a copyright infringement, please contact [email protected] and quote http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/33712/ An Ethnobiological Study of the Usage of Marine Resources by Two Aboriginal Communities on the East Coast of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. Thesis submitted by Andrew John SMITH BSc(Hons)(JCUNQ) in December 1987 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Zoology at James Cook University of North Queensland ACCESS I, the undersigned, the author of this thesis, understand that James Cook University of North Queensland will make available for use within the University Library and, by microfilm or other photographic means, allow access to users in other approved' libraries. All users consulting this thesis will have to sign the following statement: "In consulting this thesis I agree not to copy or closely paraphrase it in whole or in part without the written consent of the author; and to make proper written acknowledgement for any assistance which I have obtained from it." Beyond this, I do not wish to place any restriction on access to this thesis. (signature) (date) DECLARATION I declare that this thesis is my own work and has not been submitted in any form for another degree or diploma at any university or other institution of tertiary education. Information derived from the published or unpublished work of others has been acknowledged in the text and a list of references is given. Andrew J. Smith 4 December 1987 ABSTRACT This thesis considers the role of contemporary Aboriginal marine ethnobiological knowledge and practices in Western biology and resource management, with specific reference to Aborigines living on the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. The historical and current marine hunting and fishing practices, and the ethnobiological knowledge of tropical marine food resources of Hopevale and Lockhart River Aboriginal communities are documented. There is also an applied objective which dictated both the communities chosen and the focus of the study: to provide the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) with recommendations that could be used in the development of a management programme for the usage of marine resources in areas of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) adjacent to Aboriginal communities; with special reference to the manaOment of Aboriginal hunting of dugongs (Dugong dugon) and sea turtles (Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata). In comparison to the marine biological information Johannes (1979b, 1980, 1981b) acquired in Palau, the information obtained from Hopevale and Lockhart River lacked detail. To account for these differences I have employed Goodenough's notion of the culture pool and identified factors influencing Aboriginal marine environmental knowledge. In considering these factors I have developed the concept of a continuum of ethnobiological knowledge through different communities/societies. Different ethnobiological research strategies for Aboriginal communities are discussed. The strategy used should be based upon careful consideration of the objectives to be achieved and the communities involved. I argue projects with a biological orientation should focus on topics in a number of Aboriginal communities, while those with specifically management orientated objectives will require careful consideration of the problems to be addressed prior to determining the appropriate research strategy. The history of dugong management by GBRMPA at Hopevale is summarised, and the major management problems and their origins are discussed. The combined dugong harvest by Aboriginal hunters from Hopevale and Lockhart River is substantially less than the estimated sustainable yield, based on recent dugong population estimates. The present traditional harvest per se is unlikely to be damaging the dugong population in the northern GBRMP region. However, due to the dugong's low reproductive rate, it will be at least a decade before aerial surveys will be able to confirm the status of the dugong population. Therefore, a conservative management policy for dugongs is recommended while acknowledging the rights of Aboriginal hunters. The problems experienced by GBRMPA in managing Aboriginal dugong hunting at Hopevale were used to evaluate potential difficulties for GBRMPA in attempting to manage Aboriginal turtle hunting. The management of a resource exploited by people with a different cultural perception of that resource, can successfully occur (as appears to be currently happening at Hopevale and Lockhart River) when the authorities concerned are willing to demonstrate flexibility and adaptability in their management programmes. -v- TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACCESS ii DECLARATION iii ABSTRACT iv TABLE OF CONTENTS vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS xi 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Research Aims 1 1.2 Ethnobiology 4 1.2.1 A Comparison Between Indigenous and Western Science 6 1.3 A Review of Ethnobiological Studies 7 1.3.1 General 7 1.3.2 Australia 8 1.3.3 The Relevance of Traditional Fisheries Research 15 1.3.4 The Relevance of Ethnobiological Studies to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park 18 1.4 Definitional Problems 19 2.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 26 2.1 Background 26 2.2 Literature Research 26 2.3 Field Work 27 2.3.1 Biological Methods 28 2.3.2 Ethnobiological Methods 29 2.4 Data Analysis 31 2.4.1 Biological 31 2.4.2 Ethnobiological 32 2.5 Limitations on the Research 32 2.5.1 General 32 2.5.2 Logistical 34 2.5.3 Problems Which Affected the Objectives 35 3.0 THE CURRENT AND HISTORICAL MARINE HUNTING AND FISHING PRACTICES OF THE HOPEVALE COMMUNITY INCLUDING A SUMMARY OF THE ETHNOBIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF MARINE FOOD RESOURCES 38 3.1 Historical Aspects of Marine Resource Utilisation: a General Account 38 3.1.1 Language 38 3.1.2 History 39 3.1.3 Conclusion 47 3.2 Description of the Hopevale Region 48 3.2.1 Climate 48 3.2.2 Marine Habitats 49 3.3 General Marine Usage in the 1980s 50 3.3.1 Seasonality 50 3.3.2 Locations 52 3.3.3 Boats and Vehicles 52 3.3.4 Fishing and Marine Hunting Equipment 54 -vi- Page 3.4 Usage of Marine Resources 58 3.4.1 Dugongs 58 3.4.2 Turtles 79 3.4.3 Elasmobranchs and Teleosts 94 3.4.4 Invertebrates 113 4.0 THE CURRENT AND HISTORICAL MARINE HUNTING AND FISHING PRACTICES OF THE LOCKHART RIVER COMMUNITY INCLUDING A SUMMARY OF THE ETHNOBIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF MARINE FOOD RESOURCES: A COMPARISON WITH HOPEVALE 121 4.1 Historical Aspects of Marine Resource Utilisation: a General Account 121 4.1.1 Language 121 4.1.2 History 121 4.2 Description of the Lockhart River Region 127 4.2.1 Climate 127 4.2.2 Marine Habitats 128 4.3 General Marine Usage in the 1980s 129 4.3.1 Seasonality 129 4.3.2 Locations 129 4.3.3 Boats and Vehicles 131 4.3.4 Fishing and Marine Hunting Equipment 131 4.4 Usage of Marine Resources 133 4.4.1 Dugongs 133 4.4.2 Turtles 149 4.4.3 Elasmobranchs and Teleosts 160 4.4.4 Invertebrates 166 4.5 Summary of the Ethnobiological Data on Dugongs and Turtles for Hopevale and Lockhart River 170 5.0 THE IMPORTANCE AND RELEVANCE OF THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT TO THE HOPEVALE AND LOCKHART RIVER COMMUNITIES 173 5.1 Aboriginal Perception of the Marine Environment 173 5.1.1 Lockhart River 174 5.1.2 Hopevale 179 5.2 Factors Which Have Influenced the Knowledge Used in Marine Hunting and Fishing Techniques 180 5.3 The Relevance of Marine Resources to the Communities 184 6.0 ABORIGINAL MARINE ETHNOBIOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE: ITS ACQUISITION AND POTENTIAL VALUE TO WESTERN SCIENCE, RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION 188 6.1 188 6.2 Strategies for Acquiring Ethnobiological Information 201 6.2.1 Aboriginal Marine Knowledge and Biology 205 6.2.2 Aboriginal Marine Knowledge, Management and Conservation 207 6.3 Summary 209 7.0 CONTEMPORARY MARINE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INVOLVING .•1 ABORIGINAL KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: THE HUNTING OF DUGONGS AND TURTLES 211 7.1 Applied Ethnobiology and Policy Science 211 7.2 Dugong Hunting: the Need for Management 215 7.2.1 General 215 7.2.2 Legislation 216 Page 7.2.3 The Establishment of the GBRMP: Causes for Concern 217 7.2.4 GBRMPA Actions Prior to the Implementation of the Zoning Plan 218 7.2.5 Reaction to the Permit System 221 7.2.6 Management of Dugong Hunting 223 7.3 Turtle Hunting: a Potential Problem 229 7.4 Aborigines and Marine Resource Management: the Need for a Strategy 233 7.4.1 Aborigines and the GBRMP 233 7.4.2 The Need for a Management Strategy 235 8.0 CONCLUSIONS 240 9.0 APPENDICES 244 9.1 Appendix 1: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: Goal, Aims, Functions and Park Management 244 9.2 Appendix 2: Phonology Used for Guugu Yimidhirr in this Thesis 248 9.3 Appendix 3: A Summary of the Species Recognised by Hopevale people: their uses, means of capture, and basic ethnobiological information 249 9.4 Appendix 4: Recommendations submitted to GBRMPA Directed at the Management of Marine Resources Used by Aborigines in Areas of the GBRMP Adjacent to the Trust Areas 254 10.0 REFERENCES 260 TABLES 3.1 Selected climatic data for Cooktown (Bureau of Meteorology, 1975) 49 3.2 A summary of the results for dugongs caught by Hopevale hunters (1984-1987) and Lockhart River hunters (Sept. - Dec. 1985) 276 3.3 Number and sex of dugongs caught by