What Would Be the Benefits of Establishing a North Australian Indigenous Fishing Cooperative?
Tracks
Trinity Room
| Wednesday, July 23, 2025 |
| 12:15 PM - 12:35 PM |
| Trinity Room |
Overview
Bo Carne, Aboriginal Sea Company
Speaker
Bo Carne
CEO
Aboriginal Sea Company
What Would Be the Benefits of Establishing a North Australian Indigenous Fishing Cooperative?
Presentation Overview
The vision is to enhance food security and Indigenous health outcomes by increasing the availability of fresh seafood into the regions. We will support individuals/families/communities small-scale fishing businesses and form industry partnerships. This will see Indigenous fishing businesses structured that are culturally appropriate with decisions made by Indigenous people. The longer-term vision is to have a regional fisheries management model utilising Indigenous customary boundaries as the regional management structure.
A Fishing Cooperative (Co-op) model provides a support structure for small-scale commercial fisheries to allow fishers to do what they do best, catch seafood. The Co-op provides logistical and other operational support to the fishers. Fishing Co-ops are used across Australia, Canada (BC) and USA.
To ensure the establishment of an Indigenous Fishing Cooperative is manageable and sustainable, it is proposed that this is done using a staged approach. Stages one and two are already underway in the NT.
STAGE ONE (2022-2025)
Identify potential Indigenous people in remote and regional communities with interest and skills to work in the fishing industry.
STAGE TWO (2025-2026)
Identify asset requirements to support Indigenous fishers in remote and regional communities that will support small-scale fishing operations.
Stage Three (2026-2029):
Once funding (either partial or total) has been acquired the ASC will formalise membership for the Indigenous Fishing Co-op.
Stage Four (2029-2039):
The ASC will continue to acquire fishing licence rights in a variety of commercial fisheries and recreational tourism then lease all available licence rights and fishing vessels (if none are funded elsewhere) to Indigenous people in remote and regional areas.
The Fishing Co-operative will establish a financial lending institution under the relevant legislation as a not for profit.
Finally, the Fishing Co-operative can either partner with an insurance company or create its own insurance company specifically for Indigenous commercial fishers.
A Fishing Cooperative (Co-op) model provides a support structure for small-scale commercial fisheries to allow fishers to do what they do best, catch seafood. The Co-op provides logistical and other operational support to the fishers. Fishing Co-ops are used across Australia, Canada (BC) and USA.
To ensure the establishment of an Indigenous Fishing Cooperative is manageable and sustainable, it is proposed that this is done using a staged approach. Stages one and two are already underway in the NT.
STAGE ONE (2022-2025)
Identify potential Indigenous people in remote and regional communities with interest and skills to work in the fishing industry.
STAGE TWO (2025-2026)
Identify asset requirements to support Indigenous fishers in remote and regional communities that will support small-scale fishing operations.
Stage Three (2026-2029):
Once funding (either partial or total) has been acquired the ASC will formalise membership for the Indigenous Fishing Co-op.
Stage Four (2029-2039):
The ASC will continue to acquire fishing licence rights in a variety of commercial fisheries and recreational tourism then lease all available licence rights and fishing vessels (if none are funded elsewhere) to Indigenous people in remote and regional areas.
The Fishing Co-operative will establish a financial lending institution under the relevant legislation as a not for profit.
Finally, the Fishing Co-operative can either partner with an insurance company or create its own insurance company specifically for Indigenous commercial fishers.
Biography
Robert (Bo) Carne is Jabirr Jabirr through his mother and linked to Bardi through his grandmother from the Dampier Peninsular in WA. He grew up on Larrakia Country in Darwin and is the Chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Sea Company (ASC) established in 2022. The ASC owns commercial mud crab, barramundi and Black Jewfish licences as well as the Darwin Shipstores, Darwin Fish Market and Premium Seafoods businesses. Bo is an experienced executive having worked in various leadership and policy roles across the NT government. He has a keen interest in governance models that support small-scale fishing enterprises.
