Talking camels: a consultation strategy for consent to conduct feral camel management on Aboriginal-owned land in Australia
Ben Kaethner A C , Peter See B and Adam Pennington BA Central Land Council, Alice Springs, Northern Territory 0870, Australia.
B Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, Newman, Western Australia 6753, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: ben.kaethner@clc.org.au
The Rangeland Journal 38(2) 125-133 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ15076
Submitted: 5 August 2015 Accepted: 22 March 2016 Published: 27 April 2016
Abstract
Thorough consultation and informed consent are required for any work on Aboriginal-owned land in Australia. Consultations for feral camel (Camelus dromedarius) management under the Australian Feral Camel Management Project across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia were conducted across a vast area, spanning a diversity of cultures and landscape types. Aboriginal organisations from these jurisdictions developed consultative processes that supported Aboriginal communities in making informed decisions on any removal of camels from their country. This article describes the communication techniques used to depict the feral camel issues and opportunities to Aboriginal communities at the local and landscape scale. The decisions that communities arrived at were varied, but consistently focussed on feral camel removal. Their decisions have led to broad-scale feral camel removal under the Australian Feral Camel Management Project, and beyond.
Additional keywords: arid rangelands, camel culling, camel population control, Indigenous knowledge, land management.
References
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2009). Available at: www.abc.net.au/news/2009-11-26/town-under-siege-6000-camels-to-be-shot/1157190 (accessed 12 February 2016).Bowman, M. (2015). ‘Every Hill Got a Story.’ (Hardy Grant Books: Richmond, Vic.)
Camel Industry Steering Committee (1993). ‘The Central Australian Camel Industry.’ (Camel Industry Steering Committee: Alice Springs, NT.)
Department of the Environment Australian Government (2016). Available at: www.environment.gov.au/land/indigenous-protected-areas (accessed 12 February 2016).
Director of National Parks (2010). ‘Ulu
Edwards, G., Digby, D., O’Leary, P., Rafferty, D., Jensen, M., Woolnough, A., Secomb, N., Williams, M., Schwartzkopff, K., and Bryan, R. (2016). Planning and conducting aerial culling operations for feral camels. The Rangeland Journal 38, 153–162.
Hart, Q., and Edwards, G. (2016). Outcomes of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project and the future of feral camel management in Australia. The Rangeland Journal 38, 201–206.
Ninti One Ltd (2013). ‘Managing the Impacts of Feral Camels across Remote Australia.’ Final report of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. (Eds M. McGregor, Q. Hart, A. Bubb and R. Davies.) Available at: www.nintione.com.au/resource/ (accessed 17 March 2016).
Parks and Wildlife Service of the Northern Territory, Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport (2011). ‘Finke Gorge National Park Joint Management Plan.’ (Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport: Darwin, NT.)
Rose, B. (1995). ‘Land Management Issues: Attitudes and Perceptions amongst Aboriginal People of Central Australia’. (Central Land Council: Alice Springs, NT.)
Saalfeld, W. K., and Edwards, G. P. (2008). Ecology of feral camels in Australia. In: ‘Managing the Impacts of Feral Camels in Australia: A New Way of Doing Business’. DKCRC Report 47. (Eds G. P. Edwards, B. Zeng, W. K. Saalfeld, P. Vaarzon-Morel and M. McGregor.) pp. 9–34. (Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre: Alice Springs, NT.)
Tangentyere Landcare (2005). ‘The Camel Book.’ (Tangentyere Landcare Land and Learning Program: Alice Springs, NT.)
The Guardian (2009). Available at: www.theguardian.com/world/2009/nov/26/thristy-camels-terrorising-australian-town (accessed 12 February 2016).
Vaarzon-Morel, P. (2008). ‘Key Stakeholder Perceptions of Feral Camels: Aboriginal Community Survey.’ DKCRC Report 49. (Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre: Alice Springs, NT.)
Vaarzon-Morel, P. (2010). Changes in Aboriginal perceptions of feral camels and of their impacts and management. The Rangeland Journal 32, 73–85.
| Changes in Aboriginal perceptions of feral camels and of their impacts and management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Vaarzon-Morel, P., and Edwards, G. P. (2012). Incorporating Aboriginal people’s perceptions of introduced animals in resource management: insights from the feral camel project. Ecological Management & Restoration 13, 65–71.
| Incorporating Aboriginal people’s perceptions of introduced animals in resource management: insights from the feral camel project.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Walsh, F., and Mitchell, P. (2002). ‘Planning for Country: Cross-cultural Approaches to Decision-making on Aboriginal Lands.’ (IAD Press: Alice Springs, NT.)