Angkamuthi Land & Sea Management Centre (Injinoo)
Around the turn of the century the remains of the semi nomadic family tribes that occupied the last two hundred kilometres of Cape York Peninsular came together of their own volition and settled at the mouth of Cowal Creek. (small river-Injinoo) and is known as Injinoo. The community brought together five major groupings. Angkamuthi (seven rivers of the Western side), Atambaya (MacDonnell-central), Wuthathi (Whitesand-south eastern), Yadhaykenu (Cairns cross-eastern) and Gudang (Red Island, Somerset-Northern). These people established this community themselves and supported themselves entirely by working there own fishing vessels and gardens and selling their produce in Thursday Island.
Injinoo community is located just south of Bamaga & has a population of 500. In recognition of the people’s responsibility for the management and care of their traditional lands, the Injinoo Community has established the Injinoo Apudhama Association to represent the traditional land owner groups within Injinoo. The responsibilities of this group include land management and land care. This involves the responsibility for the ranger service, for the development of camp facilities and the provision of information, waste management, erosion control, the protection of cultural sites, the improvement of access and the development of walkways, fire management, feral animal and pest management as well as the protection of endangered flora and fauna.
Most recently there has been the establishment of the Angkamuthi Land & Sea Management Centre who will be responsible for the carriage of Ghost Net clean up work in the area of Seven Rivers, which extends from the town of Injinoo in a southerly direction to the Skardon River. This area covers about 120 kilometres of coastline. With limited road access and resources the Angkamuthi Land & Sea Centre has welcomed the involvement of the Northern Gulf Resource Management Group in providing a dedicated Project Officer to work with these people in the development of workplans and budgets that has provided them with access to Natural Heritage Trust funding. This funding will assist them in obtaining resources that will assist them in combating the ghost net problem along the coastline of the homelands.
This coastline contains many areas that are critically important turtle nesting grounds and the waters are frequented by a variety of marine life, some which are listed as threatened and endangered.
Presently the Land & Sea Centre is under funded and under resourced. For example the rangers do not have a dedicated vehicle to access their beaches although there are 2 vessels available to them to patrol the waters and islands adjacent to the coast. This is severely hampering their efforts to actually remove ghost nets from the areas under their control and to carry out other important land management and cultural practices.
This lack of essential resources has not effected the commitment and enthusiasm for the Programme by the Land & Sea Coordinator & Traditional Owners. The traditional owners are currently conducting negotiations with Council, alternative funding bodies and some major industry groups to provide a source of funding that may enable the establishment of a Ranger base including the essential resources required to perform the functions expected of them. Sponsorship for a dedicated vehicle is also being sought.
Unfortunately this area of coastline has been recognised as one of the major sites where Ghost nets first enter the Gulf and deposit on the beaches due to the prevailing currents. This lack of resources and permanent funding presents a real challenge to the overall Programme as Ghost Nets that are left on beaches can re-enter the sea when large tides or storm weather events occur and then continue to kill or injure endangered and threatened marine animals.
Until Indigenous Management Groups and Government both state and federal, address these funding shortfalls, provide training and permanent ranger employment, the Angkamuthi Rangers will continue to face problems and continued frustration when attempting to manage their homelands and combat environmental problems such as those presented by the presence of Ghost Nets.
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