Development of co-management arrangements at regional and local scales: an adaptive management approach (A3.4)

Task leader: Prof Helen Ross, University of Queensland.

Task associate: NA.

General Objectives:

1. To provide information and procedural support for Aboriginal Traditional Owners and GBRMPA in developing local and regional level co-management arrangements for area and/ or species management, with a focus on informed, adaptive management

2. To provide a well-researched information base and procedural frameworks to demonstrate how the concepts of adaptive management and co-management can be integrated towards improved marine environmental management.

Specific Objectives:

1. To build upon the previous co-management research task (A3.3, 2001-2003, which is developing a reef-wide framework for co-management) by providing research, advice and monitoring to assist Indigenous Traditional Owners and agency parties to operationalise co-management in two case studies at regional and local scales, building from existing initiatives (see ‘context’ below).

2. Develop and commence implementation of a participatory evaluation framework to enable the parties to monitor and improve their management approaches, using an adaptive management philosophy. In the current year, this will focus on the ‘assessment’ step of an adaptive management cycle, documenting the history to date of each case study and current management situation as a baseline for monitoring management improvements as co-management progresses.
   
   

3. Provide well researched advice to all parties concerning the practicalities and capacity-building requirements for implementing co-management, including:
   - Cross-cultural communication, and managing across different cultural bases for institutional arrangements;
   - Necessary institutional arrangements and resourcing,
   - Two-way exchange and integration of knowledge.
   

4. Provide Indigenous capacity-building through research positions and engagement processes.
   

5. Integrate with other CRC initiatives, especially the Cultural Heritage task (A1.3.1) and new Range-to-Reef initiative with the Rainforest and Tropical Savannas CRCs. Assist the CRC in its Indigenous engagement process.