Walbunja traditional owner Wally Stewart's over-riding message about Barunguba Montague Island is that Aboriginal people must play a bigger part in its management and have more say.
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Last September NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) released a draft management plan for Barunguba Montague Island Nature Reserve that proposed reducing visitor numbers to better protect the island.
Submissions to the draft plan closed last November.
Mr Stewart said the South Coast Native Title claimants made a submission to the draft plan because of their native title claim and Barunguba's significance to them.
Barunguba is under the Native Title claim.
"The claim extends three nautical miles out to sea but we have included Barunguba, which is approximately 4.86 nautical miles from Narooma, in it.
"It is a very special place for us to do ceremonies and there are many sites," Mr Stewart said.
Agreement on cultural tours by Aboriginal people
Mr Stewart said NPWS had done a great job managing Barunguba's environment.
"When it comes to our culture and Aboriginal history though they haven't.
"The only way it will get better is if it is managed, or jointly managed, by our mob."
Currently only NPWS staff and volunteers conduct tours of the island.
Mr Stewart said everyone is making money out of Barunguba except the Aboriginal people "but it is all about us having a say in management.
"They employ a woman to go out there and do tours.
"There is nothing worse than someone selling our culture," he said.
He wants his people to conduct cultural tours on Barunguba to create jobs.
In its submission to the plan Eurobodalla Shire Council said it supports the plan's proposal that Aboriginal people have greater involvement in Barunguba's management and tour activities.
Fishing amnesty in sanctuary zones
Mr Stewart said the state government's announcement in December 2019 of fishing amnesties in five sanctuary zones of Batemans Marine Park, including Barunguba, was done without consulting the Aboriginal people.
"We have Native Title claim over the water so [the then member for Bega] Andrew Constance should have consulted with us.
"Under Native Title law they are supposed to negotiate with us.
"If they take something away from us without consultation they have created a future act under the Native Title Act," Mr Stewart said.
"As far as we are concerned Barunguba needs to be handed back to our mob because the water is under claim and so is the land."
