About NAILSMA

The North Australian Indigenous Land & Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA) is an unincorporated bioregional forum for Indigenous land and sea managers across North Australia. It aims to support practical Indigenous land and sea management using strategic approaches to care for country with an emphasis on practical management by Traditional Owners across the whole of the North. It is a partner agency of the Tropical Savannas CRC and represents the interests of Indigenous land and sea managers across northern Australia to the CRC’s Board of Management.

To read more about the establishment of NAILSMA, download the discussion paper, A structure for the strategic development of the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Allliance.

Research and natural resource management projects are funded via NAILSMA’s core member organisations. It has two broad but interrelated functions.

In the first instance, NAILSMA is involved in supporting Indigenous land and sea management initiatives that are relevant across the whole of northern Australia. These currently include:

• Dugong and Marine Turtle Management Project
• Indigenous Cabon Abatement Project.
• 'Talking Culture on Country' Program (IEK)
• Leadership, Scholarship and Communication Project.
• Enterprise Development
• Indigenous Water Policy Group Project.
• Indigenous Community Water Facilitator Network Project.
• Sustainable Water Enterprises (Theme 6: TRaCK Program)
• Indigenous Partnerships North Australia (Hosted Bush Heritage Australia - BHA position)

Secondly, NAILSMA is a movement that is driven by a developing network or alliance of groups, organisations and communities who are involved in practical Indigenous land and sea management on their country. Through this alliance, there are opportunities to:

• Support capacity building amongst, and increase communications between, Indigenous land and sea managers;
• Advocate for the rights and interests of Indigenous land and sea managers across the north of Australia;
• Support economic development opportunities that are based on land and sea management; and
• Support the inter-generational transfer of customary knowledge and practices across generations.

To further these aims, it seeks to invite more Indigenous land and sea management agencies and relevant non-government agencies to participate as potential members of the alliance.