A COOYA Beach meeting on unauthorised turtle hunting quickly turned to issues of over-fishing and water quality yesterday.

The meeting was called after concerns were raised about illegal hunting, possibly by people from outside the area, and the discovery of a turtle graveyard near Port Douglas.

Facilitated by local traditional owner Terry O'Shane, speakers including commercial fishermen, indigenous tour operators and elders took to the stage to work through issues and draw up a draft plan for Reef stakeholders.

The traditions of local people, as well as expectations on tour operators and government agencies to protect the environment from threats including over- fishing and water quality, dominated the meeting.

"For 70,000 years we've sustained ourselves and the environment on this land - now we're seeing species disappearing forever as well as massive environmental and erosion problems," Mr O'Shane said.

"It's not from the black fellas hunting, it's because in the '60s and '70s there were prawn trawlers dragging the ocean until it was bald.

"So if people want to start talking about traditional hunting they need to be ready for these discussions."

Although the elders admitted there were hunters "doing the wrong thing", they said many pictures circulated in the media had shown traditional owners spearing for fish or hunting legally for turtle - despite other elders confirming no permission had been formally sought by obtaining identification.

Historical elder and former Douglas Shire councillor, George Pitt, said outsiders hunting in the area had "cast a cloud of shame" over the local indigenous community, which needed to be dispelled.

Linc Walker, who runs Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours with his two brothers, said the issue of turtle hunting was raised annually with more discussion needed within the community.

"There needs to be more educational meetings," he said.

"There have been a lot of tensions brewing in the community and we wanted to ease them today."

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