Sea ranching of sandfish in an Indigenous community within a well-regulated fishery (Northern Territory, Australia)

The Northern Territory is in a unique position to support sandfish (Holothuria scabra) ranching as it has an intact wild fishery and low poaching pressure. Indigenous people own 85% of the coastline, and are keen to develop economic opportunities through their natural resources. The commercial wild-caught sector has well-established markets, and has expressed a willingness to partner with Indigenous coastal communities. Research currently underway is focused on the biological and economic feasibility of sea cucumber ranching as well as developing effective facilitation and evaluation approaches to ensure that Indigenous people drive enterprise development themselves.