Aborigines and fire in the wet tropics of Queensland, Australia: Ecosystem management across cultures

Australian indigenous people may retain common law native title rights in lands that have been reserved for nature conservation purposes. They are seeking greater equity in management of these places, and recognition of their cultural practices, such as "fire-stick farming." This article examines the approach to fire management of one group of Australian Aborigines, the Kuku-Yalanji, and that of the government managers of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area. The comparative ecosystem management framework used to analyze the cultural interface highlights potential conflicts over the control of management and information, while identifying common interests in maintaining species and communities. Kuku-Yalanji use fire to protect fire-sensitive rainforests as well as to promote fil e-prone open forests. The study suggests a Fire Protocol to mediate the different goals of the two groups, and supports the view that implementation of ecosystem management requires a social decision process.