On the Great Barrier Reef, management by Traditional Owners is growing

Eighteen Traditional Owner groups now help manage the Great Barrier Reef through Traditional Use of Marine Resources Agreements, arrangements that began in 2005 and now cover 43% of the Marine Park's coastline. The World Heritage Committee, meeting in July 2026, again declined to list the reef as 'in danger' and specifically encouraged Australia to back the Traditional Owner Taskforce and its 2050 implementation plan.

Researchers and Indigenous leaders describe genuine, if slow-won, gains: over 200 Indigenous rangers, expanded water-quality monitoring, and governance systems built around sustainable take of dugong and turtle rather than unlimited harvest. The reef still faces bleaching, poor water quality, invasive species and climate change, none of which the agreements can fix on their own.

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