Standard Presentation (12 minutes) Australian Marine Sciences Association 2025 Conference

Wunungu awara (Strong Country): A Case Study in Decolonising Marine Spatial Planning with Yanyuwa-led Cultural Governance (120175)

Renee A Rossini 1 , Rachel A Groom 2 3 , Jackie L Gould 2 , Shaun Evans 4 , Fiona Keighran 4 , Corrine Coombes 4 , Kurtly Harvey 4 , John J Bradley 4 , Phil Adgemis 5 , Chase Aghan 6
  1. School of Environment, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  2. Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University , Darwin, NT, Australia
  3. Australian Research Council, CoE for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, James Cook University , Cairns, QLD, Australia
  4. li-Anthawirriyarra Land and Sea Ranger Unit, Borroloola, NT, Australia
  5. Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority, Northern Territory, Darwin, NT, Australia
  6. The Nature Conservancy, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Global reviews of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) show that Indigenous peoples’ involvement in MSP is low. When included, they are considered equal stakeholders, which conflicts with their understanding of custodianship. Indigenous knowledge is often integrated in a transactional way, lacking meaningful engagement with Indigenous ontological frameworks. This results in a misleading sense of inclusivity and misrepresentation of complex Indigenous knowledge and values. It is essential to decolonise this approach and challenge the data hegemony held by colonial sources. The data used for spatial prioritisation significantly influences management zonation. For Indigenous peoples to engage meaningfully in MSP, data must reflect their knowledge, laws, and values. We describe a collaboration led by Yanyuwa Sea Country custodians, alongside anthropologists, ecologists, and local knowledge holders. Through literature reviews, consultations, and publicly available data, we developed two value frameworks: one reflecting government and industry perspectives and the other based on a Yanyuwa-led ontology of value and threat related to their Sea Country. These frameworks inform a spatial cumulative risk assessment, exploring the challenges of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into MSP and supporting its decolonisation in Yanyuwa Sea Country.