ON-COUNTRY PROTOCOLS
To ensure the protection of our Wuthathi Ngaachi and Karakara the following protocols were developed in consultation with the Tribal Elders Council and reflect the Wuthathi Tribal Elders Council Protocols. Families must adhere to the following protocols.
1. Vehicles
Please avoid unnecessary off-road driving ("bush bashing") and refrain from driving on the beach with 4x4 vehicles, quad bikes, motorbikes, side-by-sides, and similar vehicles, especially at low tide. Our collective responsibility is to preserve the land and protect the sensitive ecosystems, such as the sea grass, that thrive here.
2. Hunting and Gathering
Turtles
- 25 per year is the limit of turtles that can be taken across all Wuthathi people.
- No take of large older males and females – keep these for breeding stock.
- Freezing – share take with Family, freeze only small bag for yourself.
- No selling minya.
- Killing needs to be done humanely and cutting up on islands or remote beaches not near camping areas where it can attract crocodiles.
- If permission has been given to go hunting for cultural purposes, take a young person to teach them.
- Engine drift only, no motor. Rowing OK
- Turtle for weddings, funerals, tombstones, and milestone celebrations, Christmas
- Permission will not be granted for fun or excessive use.
- April to late September – no killing during mating season – no go!
- Must cut our way we cut different to Island
- Old way we kill we share.
Dugong
- 25 per year is the limit of dugongs that can be taken across all of the Wuthathi people.
- While there is no set approved hunting period: No take of pregnant females and mothers of calves. No take of calves.
- Hunters need to have the skill and knowledge to be able to determine the breeding condition and mothering of dugongs to be authorized by Elders to hunt dugongs consistent with the above rules about breeding and mothering.
- Hunting not for keeping and freezing needs to be shared.
- Killing needs to be done humanely and cut up on islands or remote beaches not near camping areas where it can attract crocodiles.
- If permission has been given to go hunting for cultural purposes, take a young person to teach them.
- Engine drift only, no motor. Rowing OK
- Dugong for weddings, funerals, tombstones, milestone celebrations Christmas etc.
- Permission will not be granted for fun or excessive use.
- Must cut our way Island way cut different
- Old way we kill we share.
Fishing, spearing and gathering shellfish
- Fishing and spearing permitted for all who go on the country with permission.
- Must be to the legal size and quantity limits
- No take Jenny’s
- No setting net.
- Clean your mess & don’t leave rubbish.
- Cracking oysters eat while on country may fill and take a 500ml jar
Totems
The following totems are not to be taken, and if caught, should be respectfully returned to their natural environment
- Yaawa – Manta Ray
- Uthakaa - Dingo
- Kobia - King fish
- Gaidtha -Thresher shark
- Thukuruu -Tiger shark
- Charra - Seagull
- Totem plants
3. Taking of sand and other minerals.
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One small jar or bottle of sand can be taken for house, no request for excessive amounts that is not our way.
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No commercial sale - for small-scale personal use only.
4. Camping Areas
To ensure the safety and management of camping areas, it is important to book your campsite via our online booking system avaialable at www.wuthathi.com this will enable all our custodians to ensure that the site is monitored but to also ensure we have capacity at the campsites.
It is important to leave only footsteps, so please ensure that you take all rubbish with you on departure.