A new round of grants is available from the Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund (AFTF) which has provided just over $1.4 million in funding for 43 projects since 2017.
A total of $500,000 is on offer to provide opportunities for Aboriginal communities in commercial fishing, tourism, Aboriginal cultural fishing, and research and education related to fisheries resources throughout NSW.
“We recognise the significance fishing has to Aboriginal communities and the NSW Government will continue to support the Trust, to ensure it promotes Aboriginal cultural fishing and provides fishing related economic opportunities for Aboriginal people,” said Sean Sloan, Regional Development Deputy Secretary, Fisheries and Forestry and NSW Department of Primary Industries. “These grants can significantly assist Aboriginal commercial fisheries and tourism related businesses, as well as fisheries research and cultural education that aim to promote and protect Aboriginal cultural fishing across NSW.”
Last year, eight applications were supported, with $223,145 allocated from the Trust Fund for projects covering inland and coastal regions which will enhance, maintain and protect Aboriginal cultural fishing and provide for economic opportunities for Aboriginal communities associated with fisheries resources.
The approved projects included a commercial fishing project to support the purchase of capital equipment for an existing family-operated coastal Aboriginal commercial fishing business, and funding four Aboriginal cultural fishing camps and workshops across NSW.
“The protection and enhancement of Aboriginal cultural fishing and economic outcomes related to the aquatic resource in NSW is a key priority of the NSW Government,” Sloan said. “We encourage Aboriginal businesses and communities who could benefit from an Aboriginal Fishing Trust Fund grant or loan to apply in the current round.”
As noted by the United Nations Development Program, “Indigenous Peoples are custodians of unique knowledge systems, innovations and practices that have been passed down through generations and have allowed different cultures and communities in many parts of the world to live sustainably, emphasizing the balance between humans and the natural world.”
Consequently, empowering stewardship among indigenous communities for fisheries and other industries is key to a just and sustainable transition.
