As a member of the Animal Coalition, the Panel opposes indigenous hunting of marine life like turtles and dugongs. The Panel has arranged for legal advice to be tendered shortly to the Animal Coalition on the means to secure this in the face of native title and exemptions from cruelty laws for indigenous custom. The cruelty which attends such hunting is well-documented: see for example our website ‘Hunting‘ page and the article there attached: ‘Unhappy Hunting Grounds’. The Panel therefore welcomes the federal government moves announced today to negotiate moratoriums on such hunting in Queensland green zones and commends the Animal Coalition’s Bob Irwin and Colin Riddell on their advocacy in meetings with the federal environment minister.

An indigenous man fishes off the Green Island tourist area in the protected Great Barrier Reef last week. Picture: Brian Cassey Source: The Australian