Traditional Owners clear decades of rubbish from remote Kimberley bay

Natasha Clark Published June 3, 2026 at 3.00pm (AWST)

western australia

Dambimangari Traditional Owners have removed a boatload of rubbish from sea Country from Kuri Bay, one of Australia's most remote bays on Western Australia's Kimberley coast. (Image: DAC)

Traditional Owners have removed a boatload of rubbish from sea Country from one of Australia's most remote bays, with some items believed to date back to the 1950s.

At Kuri Bay, 400 km north of Broome on WA's Kimberley coast, Dambimangari Traditional Owners Joyce and Josie Malay, alongside Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) women's coordinator Elsa O'Brien, have been combing through mangroves and beaches to clear discarded rubbish from the coastline.

Bottles, fishing nets, old ropes and tyres were removed from the remote bay, which is accessible only by boat or seaplane.

*Dambimangari Traditional Owners fill a boat with bags of rubbish collected from the remote Kuri Bay coast. (Image: DAC)*

Dambimangari Aboriginal Corporation said the clean-up was an important responsibility for Dambeemangarddee people.

"This work helps protect our marine environment, cultural values and the wildlife that call this place home, ensuring future generations can continue to enjoy and connect with healthy Country," DAC said.

The organisation also thanked Paspaley Pearls for their support through a partnership.

Kuri Bay has drawn attention in recent years over illegal fishing, with Traditional Owners and tourism operators previously raising concerns about damage to the area's marine life.

In August 2024, Kuri Bay sport fishing tourism operator Peter Tucker told the Broome Advertiser he and Dambimangari Traditional Owners had guided authorities to four foreign fishing vessels hiding in the area's mangroves.

At the time, Australian Border Force confirmed the boats had been intercepted as part of Operation Leedstrum, after one vessel was located and further inquiries led authorities to another three.

*Dambimangari Traditional Owners scan the mangroves for rubbish and debris at Kuri Bay. (Image: DAC)*

Mr Tucker said he had seen the same boats concealed in the mangroves for weeks and believed illegal fishers were targeting sea cucumber along the Kimberley coast.

He said the fishers used mangrove branches to camouflage their boats from the air and moved with the tides to avoid detection.

Mr Tucker told the Broome Advertiser the fishers showed "scant respect" for the Kimberley coast.

"They leave rubbish everywhere," he said. "They basically rape the reef at low tide."

Mr Tucker called for authorities to work more closely with Traditional Owners, saying on-ground knowledge was needed to detect vessels hiding among the mangroves.