Divers who faced jail for cultural fishing lead sea urchin recovery
Two Walbunja divers who once faced jail for cultural fishing are now leading an Aboriginal-led sea urchin recovery initiative on the NSW south coast. The NSW government has granted $1.48 million to support sustainable sea urchin management and Indigenous enterprise development. The project aims to restore degraded reefs, create economic opportunities, and revive traditional saltwater cultural practices.
- ▪John and Denzel Carriage were previously prosecuted for cultural fishing but are now training as professional sea urchin divers.
- ▪The NSW government provided a $1.48 million grant to fund an Aboriginal-led sea urchin fishery and restoration project.
- ▪Removing sea urchins has led to kelp and seaweed regrowth at trial sites, demonstrating strong ecosystem recovery potential.
- ▪The project will develop Indigenous-branded sea urchin products and an organic fertiliser from urchin shells.
- ▪Rising sea temperatures and overfishing of predators have contributed to the sea urchin population explosion along the south coast.
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NSW government funds Aboriginal-led south coast sea urchin enterprise with $1.48m grantBy Vanessa Milton and Toby HemmingsLandlineTopic:Fishing and Aquaculture IndustrySun 17 May 2026 at 7:04amSun 17 May 2026 at 7:04amSun 17 May 2026 at 7:04amJohn Carriage diving for a sea urchin. (ABC Landline: Wayne Carberry)In short:Two Walbunja divers who were facing jail time for cultural fishing are now training to be professional sea urchin divers as part of an Aboriginal-led sea country restoration plan on the NSW south coast.The NSW government is supporting the plan with a $1.48 million investment.What's next?The grant will be used to develop Indigenous-branded sea urchin products, to streamline urchin processing and to develop an organic fertiliser product from leftover…
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