Aborigines may get right to hunt in parks
By James Woodford
Sydney Morning Herald, January 4, 2005
Aborigines may be permitted to hunt and gather in national
parks using weapons and vehicles but will not be allowed to
use firearms.
A draft discussion paper, Wild Resource Use by Aboriginal
People on National Parks and Reserves in NSW, says flora,
fauna and other material, such as stones and ochre, could be
harvested from the state's reserves. The list of what could
be sought by Aborigines includes meat, bone, feathers, teeth,
skins, eggs, shellfish, trunks, branches, fruit and flowers.
Hunting in national parks is now banned to the general
public, and Aboriginal harvesting occurs in only a few
jointly managed parks.
The new policy will cover protected areas throughout the
state.
The document, a copy of which the Herald has seen, is to be
released for public comment this year, says issues raised by
the plan include public safety, animal welfare and protection
of native wildlife from over-harvesting. The paper, prepared
by the Department of Environment and Conservation's Parks and
Wildlife Division, lists the range of implements that may be
used for harvesting: knives, clippers, axes, saws, wedges,
shovels, chainsaws, traps, fishing gear, spears, spear guns,
sieves and poisons. Dogs and fire may also be required for
cultural activities.
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Advertisement"In recognising the cultural practice of wild
resource use, activities should be defined according to their
purpose and not their methods. This recognises that
Aboriginal culture is dynamic and has adapted to modern
technology. The use of modern implements as well as the
taking of introduced species does not remove the cultural
significance or validity of wild resource use," the paper
says. "Uncontrolled use of wildlife for commercial purposes
may lead to serious wildlife conservation problems."
Commercial activities would thus need to be small scale with
minimum impact, primarily interpretive or educational and not
specifically to make money.
"Where hunting is concerned, animal welfare issues will also
need to be addressed," the paper says. "This includes the
humane killing of animals."
It is suggested that hunters could follow RSPCA guidelines.
Hunters would have to adhere to threatened species recovery
plans, and the use of any endangered species would "require
rigorous assessment".
Another major hurdle for Aboriginal people is that the Parks
Service currently has a requirement for $10 million public
liability insurance for activities occurring in reserves.
The head of the Department of Environment and Conservation's
Parks and Wildlife Division, Tony Fleming, said the paper
canvassed the issues that needed to be considered as part of
a wild resource use policy.
"It is a difficult issue to reconcile the cultural issues
associated with the use of resources and the conservation of
those resources within a national park system. We are taking
it one step at a time. We think there's an obligation for us
to accommodate that cultural aspect of the park system."
A spokesman for the National Parks Association, Roger Lembit,
said his organisation would want independent assessment to
ensure the resource use was sustainable.
It would be unacceptable for vehicles to be used in
wilderness areas, he said.
"We are happy with the use of wild products by local
Aboriginal people along traditional use lines."
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