Fish Traps by Edward Clarke

Location

King George Park, Manning Street, Rozelle
Baludarri (Leather Jacket) - Balmain Ward

Artist statement

For Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander peoples, fishing is as natural and as necessary as breathing. It forms part of the deep cultural and spiritual connection many communities have with their waters and marine resources, whether saltwater or freshwater. Fishing is a cultural practice and is informed by traditional knowledge. Today, these long-held traditions have become increasingly challenged. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been marginalised from both commercial and non-commercial fisheries and are often denied access to their traditional waters. But across Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fishers are taking steps to ensure their voices and values are heard in fisheries management planning, negotiating catch allowances and controlled access to their waters and marine resources. While the importance of fishing as a way of life is obvious to many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, there have been few attempts to translate their experiences into a narrative that governments, non-Indigenous fishers and the general public can immediately understand and appreciate.