NT: Sea rights campaigner supports extending ban

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2001
NT: Sea rights campaigner supports extending ban

A sea-rights summit coordinator says an indigenous ban on commercial fishing in Torres
Strait should be extended across northern Australia.

MALAWUP NONA coordinated an indigenous summit on Thursday Island last month which banned
commercial fishing in the Torres Strait.

And he's now successfully lobbied the Northern Land Council to support formation of
a national indigenous sea council.

Mr NONA says while the Torres Strait ban's not legally enforceable, it's deterred some
commercial fisherman.

And he says he wants the ban extended from Cairns to the Kimberley region of Western
Australia until native title issues are resolved.

But he says it's up to the people involved to decide on the issue.

AAP RTV rmg/mss/wz

KEYWORD: FISHING (DARWIN)

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