Seagrass-Watch Magazine Issue 47 - March 2013 | Page 44

Girringun Rangers
monitoring turtle and dugongs
Australia

Cardwell

Article by Matt Gillis & Louise Johns
Photography Girringun rangers, Louise Johns
Len McKenzie & Fiona Croft

A

FTER EXTREME CLIMATIC
EVENTS resulted in significant
seagrass losses, sea country
rangers are using satellite trackers
to provide insight into where turtle and
dugong are now feeding.
The Girringun Rangers, based in
Cardwell North Queensland, are a group
of 12 sea country and terrestrial rangers
that monitor and manage the land of nine
tribal groups (Nywaigi, Gugu Badhun,
Warrgamay, Warungnu, Bandjin,
Girramay, Gulgnay, Jirrbal and Djiru
people) that are incorporated into the
Girringun Aboriginal Corporation. Of
these nine groups, six are associated with
the sea. Since February 2010, the Rangers
have been funded through the Working on
Country and Queensland Land and Sea
program.
Girringun sea country (729,000
hectares) includes part of the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park and 10 declared Fish
Habitat Areas and includes over 200km of
coastline. In 2009, the six Girringun sea
country groups signed a new TUMRA
(Traditional Use of Marine Resources
Agreement) with the Great Barrier Marine
Park Authority (GBRMPA) that focuses on
the management of sea country. The
original TUMRA was signed in 2005 and
was the first of its kind in Australia. The
TUMRA is advised through the Girringun
TUMRA Steering Committee which
collectively manages the traditional take of
turtles and dugong.
The Girringun rangers have been using
the CyberTracker / I- Tracker program to
record sightings of turtle and dugong
within the Girringun Sea Country. This
information gives the presence and
absence of turtle and dugong throughout
the sea country that the rangers patrol on a
regular basis. The information collected
will provide the rangers with an insight
into where turtle and dugong are feeding
due to the number of sightings within
specific areas.
Girringun Ranger Chris Muriata holding a Green Turtle
caught for a tagging program around Goold Island near
Cardwell
GR

44

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