Indigenous Ranger Groups that have identified freshwater turtles as culturally significant in their Healthy Country Plans.

Desired outcome:  All Australian freshwater turtle species are currently being assessed against Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act criteria for threatened listing status. This workshop aims to incorporate traditional Indigenous knowledge in the listing assessment process, particularly for Culturally Significant Species. This information will contribute to the Species Expert Assessment Plans (SEAPs) Project.

This symposium will focus on emerging opportunities and challenges facing fisheries management in the Northern Territory. Themes will include topical research and perspectives on issues such as responding to climate change and water resource development for sustainable fisheries and coastal livelihoods, supporting community and Indigenous fisheries livelihoods and management, collaborative management/co-management of fisheries, and embracing new tools and technology to inform threatened species management and fisheries policy. This symposium will provide an opportunity to bring together research scientists, fishery managers and policy makers, Traditional Owners, Land and Sea Rangers, Land Councils, fishing industry bodies from all sectors (commercial, recreational, Indigenous, aquaculture), and other interested parties. Presentation sessions centred around themes will be followed by a research needs and priority setting workshop. A final plenary session will report back to the symposium on opportunities for future fishery science directions to guide collaborative engagement and research to meet the challenges of a changing Northern Territory.