Indigenous Data Sovereignty for Fisheries and Marine Research

Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) should be a critical consideration in all research development but is especially relevant for the fisheries and marine research context, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People are rights holders in marine flora and fauna and hold cultural and ceremonial responsibilities and connections for Sea Country. From a rights perspective, failure to address IDSov risks has been shown to perpetuate ongoing disadvantage, or epistemic violence (Prehn and Walter 2023). For example, although government, university, and commercial entities are actively conducting research in marine environments, limited formal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights to Sea Country means most marine research projects are not obliged to engage Traditional Owners. While some advances have been made in protecting Indigenous rights to Land and Sea Country (e.g., Indigenous Protected Areas), there are few accountability mechanisms in place to ensure that governments and research institutions prioritise Indigenous aspirations or concerns. Safeguards are needed to embed Indigenous rights and authority in fisheries and marine research and prevent extractive processes that threaten cultural practice. This keynote will share strategies and tools to support IDSov from national and international projects that have import for fisheries and marine research in Sea Country.