Indigenous rangers are working to evaluate the extent of the massive and mysterious mangrove dieback in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
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The unprecedented dieback, involving more than 7400 hectares of mangroves stretching 1000 km west of Karumba, was discovered a year ago.
The Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation, with the help of TropWATER at James Cook University, is now training 19 rangers to monitor the situation for the eastern side.
The training began last month for Indigenous ranger teams in Normanton and Burketown., led by TropWATER scientist, Dr Norm Duke.
“TropWATER is giving its full support towards having well-advised, and science-trained local indigenous rangers across the north of Australia. The rangers are very keen to improve their recording and dissemination of information so the data they collect is relevant to environmental managers in Government, as well as for science researchers,” Dr Duke said.
Dr Duke said the implications of the dieback are likely to be far reaching.
“Locals are justified in their concern for possible impacts on fisheries, coastal productivity, as well as to shoreline stability and more. Losses of shoreline mangroves exposes those shorelines to severe storms and waves that could erode large sections of coastline,” he said.
This work has been undertaken and funded at the initiative of the CLCAC as traditional owners are extremely concerned about this phenomenon. CLCAC Rangers will gain the skills and knowledge to monitor mangrove shorelines across the southern Gulf.
Normanton Senior Head Ranger Paul Richardson said traditional owners were concerned about the recent dieback event and the potential widespread environmental impacts it may have.
“Dieback has occurred across important habitat for migratory shorebirds,” Mr Richardson said.
Dr Duke said the methods used in MangroveWatch monitoring require participants to simply know how to use a camera and a GPS device.
“This is a remote part of the country, so by using such methods in a standard way provides extremely valuable and useful data,” he said.
Dr Duke said it will be a win-win outcome to support Indigenous rangers as guardians of Australia’s shoreline resources - especially in the more remote regions of the country.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
