Research was carried out on South Goulburn Island, Northern Territory, to improve understandings of local, Indigenous people’s dependency on marine resources, and of their perspectives on climate change, and aquaculture as a means towards adapting to climate change. Workshops and interviews were carried out mostly with women, but also some men with an emphasis on the use of participatory and visual techniques to encourage discussion of the future.

The research indicated that aquaculture could provide a diversified livelihood option, if carefully introduced and aligned with cultural values and preferred aspirations for the future. Success in combining aquaculture development with adaptation to climate change would depend on external stakeholders being very aware of local indigenous conceptions of the interconnections between environment and culture, and differences in worldview around the future, climate change and enterprise development. Such a (combined) process will also need attention paid to developing trust and communication, genuine support and engagement and indigenous involvement in decisionmaking.