Bunug Galaminda is a saltwater man and respected elder from the remote island community of Warruwi in the Northern Territory — and he believes his people are sitting on a gold mine.
"Over on the mainland you've got copper, you've got uranium, you've got bauxite, but out here, in the ocean, you've got oysters — that's our gold mine," he said.
The island community has just taken ownership of 80,000 baby black-lip oysters, which were bred by the NT Government's Darwin Aquaculture Centre (DAC).
It is hoped these native oysters will kickstart a commercial oyster industry for the Warruwi region and its traditional owners.
"It's a really exciting time; this is the biggest delivery of black-lip oysters we've ever made and it went really well," DAC's aquaculture technician Paul Armstrong said.
"The area that the Warruwi community is now farming, and where these oysters are, is called Fletcher's Point.
"It's a beautiful beach and a great site for oyster farming."
'This is developing the north'
Mr Galaminda, who is also the chairperson of the local Yagbani Aboriginal Corporation, said the oyster farm would deliver its first harvest in about 12 to 18 months' time.
He said it was exciting to see young people already employed by the project.
"At the moment we're growing them and our boys are enrolled in monitoring the little ones. They go out there, they clean them, give them a wash, it's great," he told ABC Rural.
"This is developing the north. We're taking part.
"It's training, it's good for our guys and jobs and business. Money for the community."
He said there were already restaurants in Darwin lining up to buy Warruwi oysters.
Opportunity to sell Warruwi oysters to the world
Paul Armstrong said it was still early days, but the potential for oyster farms in the north was looking good.
"With enterprises like the farming out at South Goulburn Island coming online, potentially you'll be able to buy locally farmed oysters, that are a native species, taste great and they're only a day away from Darwin," he said.
"Also, the thing about northern Australia is there's great potential to produce oysters for the local markets but also to then look at export markets into Asia, and so on."
Oysters are also being trialled in the Tiwi Islands.
