Bo is a Jabirr Jabirr and Bardi man who has built his career working on Aboriginal affairs, focusing on policy areas that relate to community development and empowerment. He is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Sea Company, a company focused on growing First Nations controlled marine and seafood industry related businesses.

Bo has extensive experience working in government roles, including over 10 years of working in senior administration roles delivering self-determination outcomes for First Nations people, and leading the development of the ‘NT Local Decision-Making Framework’. For 13 years Bo managed the NT Fisheries Indigenous Development Unit where he engaged Aboriginal sea rangers in fisheries compliance and research; and assisted Aboriginal people to enter the seafood industry. Bo was instrumental in establishing the Indigenous Fisheries Apprenticeship Program in 2003, that continues today.

Bo has a proven track record of working with First Nations people and within government to best deliver outcomes for First Nations people. Bo’s current role with Aboriginal Sea Company also sees him working closely with Traditional Owners who have Sea Country in Australian Marine Parks.

David has significant experience in the recreational fisheries sector. He is currently Chief Executive Officer at the Amateur Fishermen’s Association of Northern Territory, the peak body representing recreational fishers in the Territory, and a board director at RecFish South Australia.

Passionate about fishing and representing the views of approximately 30,000 recreational fishers across the Territory, David brings a solid understanding of the diverse views of the recreational fishing community in the Top End. He has significant experience in aquatic resource management and is the current chair of the National Fish Habitat Network.

Having participated on a number of natural resource advisory committees, David has experience liaising with government and non-government organisations, leading strategy, and policy development.

Amanda has worked within Registered Native Title Body Corporations and First Nations organisations for over 20 years while living in remote communities of northern Australia. She is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation in Maningrida and was previously the Coordinator of the Ipima Ikaya Aboriginal Corporation in Injinoo.

Amanda has demonstrated experience consulting with Aboriginal communities to guide the successful implementation of a broad range of complex and demanding work-programs. Her work and lived experience give her unique insights into the priorities, opportunities and challenges facing remote Indigenous organisations.

Amanda brings a unique perspective to the committee. She is passionately committed to supporting Traditional Owners to achieve aspirations for, and management of, their Country.

Robert has been working directly in the management of Australia’s fisheries for over 26 years. In 2022, he received the Industry Ambassador Award at the Northern Territory Seafood Industry Awards and in 2023 was a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program.

Robert’s experience working in resource management and directly with industry in the Northern Territory, has provided him with a sound understanding of natural resource management, governance, and administration, and associated practical applications for the sector.

Robert has been an active board member on the Northern Territory Seafood Council (NTSC) as Chair for over 11 years.  The NTSC is an organisation aimed at supporting the local seafood industry and licence holders across a range of fora, including through representation on government and regional Aboriginal fishery consultative committees. He also has 15 years’ experience with the Demersal and Timor Reef Fishery.

Raised in the Northern Territory, John has extensive experience in natural resource management, including with the science and government sectors in Australia and New Zealand.

As previous Director General of the Queensland Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing, John was responsible for managing terrestrial and marine parks and worked in conjunction with the Federal Government to implement the Great Barrier Reef Field Management Program.

Prior to that, John worked in fisheries management in the Territory, conducting monitoring surveys for a range of commercial fish species across areas off eastern Arnhem Land and in the Gulf of Carpentaria. John now runs his own consulting business.

Ian has many years’ experience working as a principal scientific investigator, designing and implementing independent surveys and scientific monitoring programs in coastal and marine fisheries.

In these roles, Ian has worked directly with seafood and fishing stakeholders, in Australia and overseas, to encourage and promote sustainable fishing practices. Previously, Ian was closely involved in the development of the South-east Marine Parks Network, particularly relating to fishery impact and risk assessments.

Ian has worked as an independent consultant for 20 years. His current relevant appointments include: Deputy Chair of Victoria’s new Marine and Coastal Council, Chair of the Torres Strait Rock Lobster Resource Assessment Group, and Chair of the Northern Prawn Fishery Resource Assessment Group.

He has expanded his interests to coastal and marine planning and management, incorporating input from both extractive and non-extractive user groups.

Dr Cass Hunter is a descendent of Kuku Yalanji and Maluiligal nations in Far North Queensland.  She has extensive experiences working at the science–economic–institutional interface for strengthening Indigenous leaders, senior managers and policy advisors in coming together to design and deliver goals that break new ground in addressing key challenges.

She is an Indigenous systems researcher with CSIRO Environment in Cairns and for over 20 years she has led significant bodies of work including the transitioning efforts from transactional to transformative partnerships between First Nations and Blue Economy Industries.  Her research experiences involve leadership in the areas in participatory action research, co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, knowledge translation and best-practice design.  For many years, she has engaged with many inspiring Indigenous young people, rangers, leaders, educators and scholars.  Her focus is on building our national and international networks of Indigenous practitioners to share and develop learnings to place Indigenous people at the heart of environmental and economic advancements.

She has extensive experiences advising senior leaders and commonwealth & state governments on matters relating to transformative policy directions and ethically, respectfully, and strategically amplifying more diverse partnerships and outcomes from reform agendas.  Currently, she is a serving member of the Federal Minister for the Environment’s Indigenous Advisory Committee and serves on several committees including Chair of the GBRF Traditional Owner Healthy Water Technical Working Group. 

Vonda is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman with Traditional Owner heritage to the Peidu Clan of Erub Island in the Eastern Islands of the Torres Strait and Yupungathi, Weipa in the Western Cape York Region.

Vonda was the first female Mayor of the Torres Shire Council and was awarded the McKinnon Political Prize for Emerging Political Leader of the year in 2017. She is the CEO of the Torres Strait Regional Authority and a highly visible advocate for the rights and welfare of First Nations people. She currently oversees the delivery of the Authorities programs, Governance and Leadership; Economic Development; Fisheries; Major Infrastructure; Culture, Art, and Heritage; Healthy and Safe Communities; and Environmental Management.

With more than 20 years of experience working across three levels of government, Vonda has led change that has created significant social, cultural, and economic benefits to First Nations people. Her demonstrated proficiency for meaningful delivery will be valuable to the committee.

Adele is a passionate advocate for marine conservation and has worked in this field for 20 years. Adele has a background in marine science, environmental management, and political science, and has extensive experience as a campaign manager throughout Australia, specialising in the Top End.

Adele is currently the manager of Keep Top End Coasts Healthy, an alliance between the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Environment Centre of NT, promoting ecologically sustainable development of the Top End by working closely with Indigenous organisations, government, and non-government organisations.

Adele has extensive experience in building public knowledge on marine conservation and delivering positive outcomes for the Top End community.

Dr Leah Talbot is an Eastern Kuku Yalanji woman from Far North Queensland.

As an expert on First Nations led natural resource management, Leah works closely with land and sea managers across northern Australia and connects the on-ground work of Indigenous organisations with regional, State and Commonwealth priorities.

Leah is the Research Manager at the Northern Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance (NAILSMA). Prior to joining NAILSMA she worked with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and earlier at CSIRO as an Indigenous Social Ecological Researcher. With a Doctorate in Indigenous governance in Protected Area Management exploring examples from Australia and Sweden, Leah has a deep perspective on incorporating traditional knowledge into the governance of protected areas.

As an Indigenous science researcher, Leah has experience in environmental management, high-level Indigenous negotiations, co-design frameworks and developing participatory planning with Indigenous communities in Indigenous land management. Her experience involves the development of Indigenous-led projects supported by Indigenous developed research methodologies. Leah has led and contributed to many research projects particularly those that draw together western and Indigenous science and specifically promote the voice, knowledge and leadership of Indigenous Peoples.