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Mary Tarran on James Price Point negogitaions
Jabirr Jabirr Traditional Owner Mary Tarran discusses the importance of protecting Indigenous culture and heritage at James Price Point.
Roebuck Bay Working Group formation, achievements and activities
The Roebuck Bay Working Group (RBWG) was formed in Broome in 2004 with the objective of developing a community based management planning process to protect, restore and maintain Roebuck Bay into the future. The RBWG, which now boasts 52 members, won a State Coastal Award in 2007 for their proactive community based management planning work.
Indigenous values
YAWURU Traditional Owners have been aware of the incredible richness of the waters and mudlfats of Roebuck Bay for thousands of years as the bay is integral to their cultural, spiritual, social and economic life. Bounded to the north-west by the township of Broome and Sandy Point to the south, Roebuck Bay is important in the recreational life of residents and visitors.
Commercial values
AS ONE of only two deep water ports in the Kimberley, Roebuck Bay is an important contributor to the financial viability of the area. Historically Broome’s commercial development has been directly dependent on the pearling industry, however port trade is now dominated by oil and gas exploration supply vessels, cruise vessel tourism, livestock export, pearl aquaculture, fishing charter vessels and fuel imports for the growing region.
Environmental values
DECLARED a Ramsar site in 1990, Roebuck Bay is internationally important for at least 20 species of migratory shorebirds and as an internationally important site in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Roebuck Bay is a tropical marine embayment with extensive and highly biologically diverse intertidal mudflats. Dugongs and Green turtles regularly feed on the extensive seagrass meadows in Roebuck Bay, before setting of on their migrations. Roebuck Bay is also a major nursery area for marine fishes and crustaceans and supports an exceptionally high diversity of benthic invertebrates (est. between 300 – 500 species), placing it amongst the most diverse mudflats in the world. Indeed, Roebuck Bay’s tidal range is so large, it exposes a staggering 160 km2 of mudflats, with tides travelling at up to 20cm/sec mid cycle.
For further information, visit: http://www.freshr.com.au/rbwg/index.php
