National Indigenous Times recently spoke with Jerrinja tribal spokesperson, Graham Connolly Jr and Jerrinja cultural and commercial fisherman, Frank Connolly Jr, who are native owners of the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales.

Both have raised concerns and voiced their opposition to the South Coast Native Title Class Action claim, which they say breaks their knowledge of tribal boundaries and traditional lore.

Graham Connolly Jr has raised concerns with members of other language groups in the region, who he says often speak on behalf of lands that belong to the Jerrinja people.

He expressed the existence of a positive and reciprocal working relationship with Department of Fisheries.

"To preach cultural lores in this country, have respect for it and if you are from another cultural native area, please don't speak for someone else's," he said.

Graham Connolly Jr is concerned with statements made by counterparts, which have included fishing or diving not being a crime. In some instances, he said this is incorrect.

"Netting is a crime at certain levels, you've got to look after it. There's lores and there's also cultural practices and making sure that when you're using the net it doesn't matter if you use cultural nets or if your using foreign nets, our native species have got to be looked after," he said.

"In our cultural lore, we've got to make sure that there's plenty for tomorrow and for the future for our young generations, but also for the future of our non-indigenous communities now, because we've got to share.

"But to have an understanding on how we look after that you've got to work in together. From native owners right down to the bottom line of making sure our non-indigenous communities have information about that knowledge too."

Graham Connolly Jr said it is upsetting to hear about the South Coast fishing rights class action when his community already have fishing rights in place.

"We've always had Native Title, before Native Title even came into play. Native Title's only a baby itself," he said.

"We've always been recognised, right back from the early stages from colonisation.

"Mr David Berry, which is over in the Berry Estate. He found our people when he first landed on Seven Mile Beach. He acknowledged our people and assisted us in keeping our old free land sitting on the Crooked River to make sure that we always had a place to live.

"So we go back from day one, we go back from the beginning of time. But when colonisation first come to Australia, that's just what took place."

Graham Connolly Jr said when the first ship with white sails landed on Seven Mile Beach, there were campsites all over because people travelled around.

The lands he said are unique just like other tribes. Seven Mile beach was a ground for hunting and breeding, whilst birthing happened in Jervis Bay, out at Binjine, which is a woman's site.

"Our peoples moved up and down this coastline, but we've also done a lot of sharing with other tribes too around boundary areas, you know, that was the understanding of it," he said.

"You wasn't sort of roaming free, into other tribal boundary lines because that called for tribal lore. You'd probably get speared for it."

With regards to cultural fishing, Graham Connolly Jr said that the Jerrinja Tribal people are walking together with the New South Wales Department of Fisheries, to ensure the broader community understands the needs of the land and water.

He said there are critical issues with overfishing of waters at hand, that include poaching and cultural fishing and diving practices which are the subject of definition and license.

"These are the reasons why it's good that you have native owners and governments working together," he said.

"We can sit around all day and talk about you know… there's a problem there, but how do you help, how do you work together to make sure there's sustainability for the future of keeping that native species there.

"How do you help native species and keep their breeding cycle in these waters?"

There are native and invading species of sea urchins in the South Coast region, however the introduced species have overtaken food resources from other from other species in the water.

The Connollys understand that complimenting cultural practices with a technical understanding of marine and ecological science can help to establish the best way forward for practices of conservation of marine life.

"You need to have science there, you need to make sure that you're working in relationships with government to help you with that part of that section of resources, making sure that there's the right elements of research and information and also how do you care for it?" they said.

When asked if he feels the Department of Fisheries are heavy handed with fines, Mr Connolly said that it was a matter of perspective.

"We have areas where you have certain species that are not in big quantities. How do you monitor those areas to make sure that you don't have heaps of people going to those areas and taking it too much? How to we minimise the area being impacted?" he said.

"You could have a bed where there could be only 200 mutton fish living there or crayfish. How do you help minimise to the level of looking after that area and making sure that they don't get wiped out because if you wipe out an area, the species won't grow back there."

Graham Connolly Jr said the action of conservation and fishing policies need to be considered from both cultural and commercial levels which sees Aboriginal knowledge holders working harmoniously with government departments to ensure species aren't eradicated.

He said the Department of Fisheries "have some work to do", to streamline practices around issuing fines.

Commercial and cultural fisherman Frank Connolly Jr said that fisheries have a duty of care to look after that water and that illegal diving, which he says is a big issue.

"When they do go in them areas they need to look at the future of the stock for everybody, our kids in the local community. What do they do though, what do they do when they take the stock away from the area? What is the answer to that," he said.

"You know, you got to look after the future don't you?

"If you aren't from this local area and you come up here and diving in these areas and take all the stock there will be no future for the little ones to grow. Once you over catch some areas or over dive some areas they are gonna be finished. Because it's like any breed, once you wipe it out it won't come back."

Graham Connolly Jr reaffirmed that law enforcement from fisheries is a necessity but with a cultural view. He said regardless of Indigeneity or background, if a person is to take too much from one area the Jerrinja Tribal Council encourages Fisheries to act.

"As native owners, you know, if we're not out on the site, looking after it all day to warn people not to do that. We enforce fisheries to empower their laws because it's about management. It's about sustainability, on making sure that it's being looked after," he said.

"We as Native Owners, we're actually happy that we got agencies out there enforcing laws when people are doing the wrong thing.

"When we urge governments to do the right thing and make sure that they ring the local native Elders up that are recognised to ask if this is right or wrong."

When asked if the Connollys felt the Department of Fisheries officers were culturally competent, he said that on certain levels they are, but that they also learning, just like every other non-Indigenous person on this country.

"It's about respect on all levels of how do we make sure that the respects there, but making sure that they're talking to the right native owners.

"Because at the end of the day, they're learning just as much as everyone else. Because if they get told a story about that person over there being a native person. How do you recognise that?"

Graham Connolly Jr said a solution could be undertaking genealogy and suggested that this could be something that the State Government could fund.

"That's your blood link to country" he said.

He said there were 500 members of the Jerrinja language group, however they all know who they are and genealogy is not needed.

"Us tribal people we go back to the roots of knowing who we are," he said.

The Connollys speak of the South Coast Department of Fisheries in high regard and believe fisheries are doing the right thing and learning about cultural lores and values in their country.

Empathising with the Department Graham Connolly Jr said "Fisheries are just like everybody else. They are learning about boundary lines and cultural levels, and they're also learning about who and how our cultural lores work in these areas".

Frank Connolly works together with both non-Indigenous fishermen and Department of Fisheries.

"There's a role to play for everyone and this is how you manage that properly for the future of this country, the future of our native people and our native species that need to be an equal balance there. I think we got it right," he said.

Facilitating an inclusive environment for everyone the Connollys said they have been working with non-Indigenous and Indigenous general public and school aged children, teaching culture and how to fish.

"I don't like using the word non-Indigenous kids because we all come from a cultural background. One way or another. You know, so we all got something to learn," he said.

Graham Connolly Jr said learning about different cultures is important to the Jerrinja Tribal Council.

"One of our main lores the on Jerrinja country is about sharing and caring for each other. That's showing respect, sharing of knowledge," he said.

"To preach cultural lores in this country have respect for them and if you are from another cultural native area, please don't speak for someone else's."

National Indigenous Times approached the Department of Fisheries and the Jerrinja Local Aboriginal Land Council for comment.

Frank Connolly Jr and Graham Connolly Jr at on Jerrinja Country at Callala Beach, New South Wales. (Video: Jess Whaler/National Indigenous Times.)