The Northern Territory's Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation has welcomed the federal government's support of Indigenous ranger groups through its ghost net initiative.
Announced Thursday, $25.1 million has been allocated over the next four years to extend the existing program which sees Indigenous ranger groups remove ghost nets and other marine debris from northern Australia's remote coastlines.
Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation executive officer Stephina Salee said the funding gives rangers the certainty and support they need to continue caring for Sea Country and responding to the continuous threat of ghost nets and marine debris along coastline.
"Ghost nets are dangerous for turtles, dugongs and other marine species that are central to our culture," Ms Salee said.
"This funding recognises the scale of the problem and the vital role Indigenous rangers play in protecting marine environment. With a four-year funding commitment we can keep creating jobs, building skills and looking after Country for future generations".
The funding extension will see the program expanded to coastal areas around Western Australia, the Torres Strait and the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Australian Marine Conservation Society saying the expansion reflects "a growing recognition that the issue must be addressed and move beyond ongoing cleanups and include efforts to turn off the tap at the source".
Australian Marine Conservation Society Plastics campaign manager, Cip Hamilton, said the funding boost and broader coastal coverage were a vital step forward.
"The expansion of the Initiative into more coastal areas is critical to protect marine life and support Indigenous rangers who are on the frontline of tackling plastic pollution," Ms Hamilton said.
"However, unnecessary delays over the past six months left rangers and supporting organisations in limbo, unsure whether this critical work could continue. That uncertainty should never be repeated.
"Until global solutions are achieved, including a strong and binding Global Plastics Treaty, ongoing government support is essential to stop ghost nets and other plastic pollution from continuing to threaten marine species and wash up on these once-pristine coastlines."
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Sea Shepherd Australia and OceanEarth also acknowledged the importance of continued support.
OceanEarth managing director, Anissa Lawrence, said the announcement reflects an important recognition of the essential role rangers play in protecting Sea Country, safeguarding marine life, and maintaining Australia's first line of defence against ghost nets - abandoned, lost or discard fishing gear.
The organisation's GhostNets Australia program has supported Indigenous-led solutions to ghost nets for more than 20 years.
"This continued funding ensures rangers can remain on Country, doing the highly skilled, labour-intensive work of locating, removing and tracing the deadly fishing gear that continues to wash ashore," Ms Lawrence said.
"The continuation and expansion of funding also preserves the technological advancements and capability built under the Initiative, including drone monitoring, the Ranger App, and world-leading debris tracking systems that help trace ghost nets back to their origins and inform international prevention efforts.
"Rangers are not just cleaning up our coastline - they're contributing data that supports global solutions, strengthening remote livelihoods, and protecting one of the world's most ecologically important marine regions.
"[Thursday's] announcement helps ensure that decades of local knowledge, capability and community-led innovation are not lost."
All four organisations said they look forward to continuing their partnership with the Indigenous ranger groups, each other and the Australian Government to secure long-term solutions to ghost gear and marine debris.
Since 2021 the federal government's ghost nets initiative has supported 24 ranger groups and nine coordinators to patrol thousands of kilometres of remote coastline, removing more than 800 ghost nets and over 140,000 kg of marine debris.
Efforts have also helped to safeguard marine life and Sea Country while supporting local employment and cultural connection.
