Indigenous property rights in commercial fisheries: Canada, New Zealand and Australia compared

This paper demonstrates, through a detailed comparison with Canada and New Zealand, that the Australian government’s approach to Indigenous customary and commercial fishing rights stands outside developments in other Commonwealth countries. It focuses on commercial fishing in particular as an opportunity for Indigenous people to more fully realise their economic rights. The socioeconomic outcomes from Indigenous commercial fishing in Canada and New Zealand identified in this paper highlight the need for Australia to rethink its policies to ensure that the same rights and benefits accrue to Indigenous Australians