June 2005
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Dugong and turtle research in the communityIn February, community members and hunters on Hammond Island took part in a workshop on turtle and dugong research, with CRC Torres Strait researchers Ms Jillian Grayson and Dr Mark Hamann from James Cook University. With the help of Hammond Islanders, Mark is coordinating a turtle research project. Islanders will be employed to count the numbers of male and female turtles in the region, how many turtles breed each year, the average size of adult turtles, the numbers of adults that have and haven’t bred before, and how many new ‘young’ turtles come to the region. Jillian also asked the community to participate in a project to test ways for Islanders to monitor their catch of dugong and turtle. Hunters agreed to trial a datasheet and monitor their catch for the next 15 months. The project has the support of key community organisations in the Kaiwalagal region. Jillian and Mark hope that other Inner Island communities will also help them with this important project. CRC Torres Strait Liaison officer Mr Toshi Nakata is helping to design the projects to make sure that they are culturally appropriate for Torres Strait Islanders. The information collected by hunters can be used by Islanders for future community-based and co-operative management of dugong and turtle, so that Torres Strait Islanders can be confident that there will be plenty of dugongs and turtles for their children and grandchildren. For more information, visit www.crctorres.com/research/T1-11.html or contact Ms Jillian Grayson, James Cook University, jillian.grayson@jcu.edu.au or Dr Mark Hamann, James Cook University, mark.hamann@jcu.edu.au |
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PO Box 772 Townsville
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