00:03For these young Walbundja men, diving for seafood runs through their bloodstream.
00:09I've been living off the south coast me whole life, hunting and gathering in the ocean.
00:15My dad would teach me, I would cling onto his back and we would duck dive and I would
00:22have been about seven, eight.
00:23He would point out where to gather lobsters, conchs, abalone, fish.
00:30Now, after decades of defending their fishing rights, their traditional saltwater culture
00:36is facing an even greater existential threat.
00:39The ocean is changing a lot. It's not the same anymore.
00:44You could always catch a feed where now it's pretty scarce.
00:4850% of shallow reefs in southern New South Wales have been transformed into a wasteland
00:55as the native longspine sea urchin has exploded in numbers, devouring kelp forests and leaving
01:01nothing but bare rock barrens.
01:03But there is a solution to this ecological crisis and an opportunity for Aboriginal custodians
01:09to take the lead.
01:11The New South Wales Government is now backing a plan for an Aboriginal-led sea urchin fishery
01:17here on the south coast with a $1.48 million grant to develop Indigenous branded sea urchin
01:23products and to streamline processing.
01:25The plan begins with mentoring these young Wolbanja divers to turn their skills to harvesting
01:31sea urchin with diver and exporter Jamie Newman.
01:34We're training these boys to not only make a living, but to rejuvenate and restock our ocean
01:42so it comes back alive again.
01:47We'll get all your gear ready.
01:49It's easy for you guys with snorkels just to get in, we'll have a look.
01:53Until we have the right quality of row, we're going to have to keep on moving
01:57because some areas are harvestable, some areas aren't.
02:00So we're just going to keep moving until we find that right spot.
02:04So getting in and getting out, remember, that's stop.
02:07When you guys do it in the water, I'll stop and I won't move the boat or touch the engine.
02:12Okay?
02:12Engine's stopped.
02:14You guys are right to get in.
02:23There's an opportunity here to train these young fellows into an industry that's going
02:26to be around forever.
02:28You can see them in the water, they're just natural divers.
02:31You know, growing up as culture fishermen, taught by culture fishermen, and they've never
02:36ever been given that opportunity to be part of an industry like this.
02:39It's going to change their whole lives as well, and they'll be looked at as role models
02:44at the end of the day.
02:45We've been working on a restoration plan for the last four years.
02:48This is basically the start of it.
02:50If we can start marketing these sea urchins and restoring our reefs, there's benefits there forever.
02:55We've got the energy for years.
02:59I think you've got to get to it.
03:00It's gonna be easier for us to get to it.
03:00It's gonna be easier for us to get to it.
03:00We're just going to get to it.
03:00You
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