Hunting and Harvesting
Hunting and Harvesting in the Northern Territory
Harvesting for subsistence is widespread amongst Aboriginal communities across the Northern Territory. Changes have occurred to the way hunting occurs with western foods becoming more prominent in the diet of Aboriginal people. Reliable data on Aboriginal harvesting has only recently become available. Hunting by non-Aboriginals is mainly focused on Magpie Geese. This hunting is closely regulated.
 Fig 1. Captain Brown from Croker Island with a goanna that he has captured for food. |
Aboriginal Harvesting
Aboriginal people harvest wildlife resources for both traditional and commercial use. Under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, Aboriginal people can harvest wildlife resources for traditional purposes, e.g. food and ceremonial reasons, without a permit. Important food species include the magpie goose, agile wallaby, freshwater and marine turtles, dugong, goannas, crocodiles, numerous species of fish and a variety of tubers, fruits and seeds, including water chestnuts and yams. In many areas, particularly in the Top End, feral animals such as buffalo and pig are also a significant food resource.
Fewer native species are harvested for commercial use but some species, such as the eggs of saltwater crocodile, are harvested in significant numbers. Unlike traditional harvests, permits are required from the Parks and Wildlife Service in order to carry out commercial harvests. Native wildlife is harvested for a variety of products. Crocodiles are harvested for skins and meat, various reptile species for the pet trade, eucalypt species for the manufacture of digeridoos, the bark of certain trees for paintings, cycads for seeds and leaves for the nursery and cut flower trade respectively. The Parks and Wildlife Service in conjunction with the Key Centre for Tropical Wildlife Management (KCTWM) at the Northern Territory University is involved in projects to assist Aboriginal communities and organisations to more effectively manage both traditional and commercial harvests of wildlife. Monitoring the impacts of commercial harvests is particularly important as these are required to demonstrate sustainability. The Parks and Wildlife Service, through the federally funded Indigenous Land Management Facilitator program, also works with local Aboriginal ranger programs to promote sustainable resource use and development.
Recreational Hunting
Recreational waterfowl hunting is a well established part of the culture of the Northern Territory. It is recognised as a legitimate activity within the context of the sustainable use of wildlife, and is managed to ensure that it is sustainable.
It is estimated that over 80% of the waterfowl taken by recreational waterfowl hunters are magpie goose and recreational hunting is managed for this particular species. Harvest of other waterfowl species by non-Aboriginal hunters is minor, less than 10% of the total harvest.
Management of the non-Aboriginal harvest of waterfowl is achieved through the declaration of an annual waterfowl hunting season. Ensuring the sustainability of the harvest is accomplished through the regulation of the length of the season (it can vary from 0 to 5 months duration), the setting of daily opening and closing times and the setting of daily bag limits and total possession limits. Variation of these parameters of the hunting season is used to restrict the harvest to sustainable levels as determined from the monitoring of the goose population.
The major factor in determining the conditions of the waterfowl hunting season is the estimation of the total goose population. Current knowledge puts the sustainable harvest limit for the magpie goose population at 10% of the total population. Estimated traditional and recreational harvest should not exceed 10% of the estimated total population and the recreational harvest is managed to ensure this. Management of the traditional harvest is not carried out at present and is extremely difficult due to cultural constraints.
Estimates of the level of recreational harvest are obtained from returns submitted by hunters at the end of the season and this information feeds into the determination of the next year's season.
 Fig 2. The magpie goose is the most extensively hunted species in the Northern Territory |
Additionally, a number of other factors are also considered in setting the conditions of the recreational waterfowl hunting season. These are the onset and amount of pre-Wet Season (September through November) rainfall, which greatly influences survivorship into the Wet Season, and the onset and amount of Wet Season rainfall, which influences the amount and success of nesting.
Pre-Wet Season (September through November) rainfall or an early start to the Wet Season greatly increases the survivorship of birds at the end of the Dry Season. This early rain results in enhanced food availability. Additionally, this early rain results in improved condition of the birds as they enter the reproductive season, resulting in improved nesting.
The onset, amount and pattern of Wet Season rainfall greatly influences the level and success of nesting. Early onset of the Wet Season, average to above average rainfall over the season with good early rainfall and no late season heavy falls (often associated with cyclonic events) results in high levels of nesting and associated high levels of nesting success. Heavy rainfall after the peak of nesting can drown many of the nests resulting in poor nesting success even though high levels of nesting may have occurred.
Additionally, the length of the Wet Season influences survivorship of young birds into the dry season. Availability of wild rice, potentially the most important food source at the end of the wet season, is influenced by rates, depth and duration of inundation. In short duration Wet Seasons this food source may be reduced and gosling mortality prior to fledging increased.
Using the above information a determination is made as to how 'good' or bad' the wet season has been and the likelihood of good survivorship and recruitment. This is used to set the length of the season at between 0 to 5 months duration. For the past few years season length has varied between 3.5 to 4 months duration.
Further Reading
Altman, J., Bek, H. and Roach, L. (1996). Use of wildlife by indigenous Australians: economic and policy perspectives. In 'Sustainable use of wildlife by Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders'. Eds. M. Bomford and J. Caughley.) pp. 77-94. (Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra.)
Whitehead, P.J., Bayliss, P. and Fox, R.E. (1988). Recreational waterfowl hunting activity and harvests in Northern Territory, Australia. Aust. Wildl. Res. 15: 625-632.
