The benefits of collaborative approaches to river research: Observations from the Daly River Fish and Flows project

Although there is growing interest in the water resources of Australia's northern rivers, we still have limited capacity to predict the consequences of altered flow regimes on aquatic plants and animals. We have recently completed a project to quantify the environmental flow requirements of fish in the Daly River and one of the aims of the project was to develop collaborations that will enhance the capacity of researchers and managers in the Northern Territory to undertake studies of the flow requirements of fish. An important part of achieving this aim was the collaboration between research scientists and Indigenous Traditional Owners of the Daly catchment. The benefits for Wagiman people included opportunities for getting old and young people back on country, career training and education opportunities, and assistance with recording stories and knowledge and tools for sharing these with the young people. The project has also helped to give Aboriginal people a better appreciation of environmental flows issues and is contributing to giving Aboriginal people a stronger voice in water planning processes in the catchment. The benefits for researchers included the opportunities for using Indigenous knowledge of the river and, importantly, increased capacity for researchers to work collaboratively with Aboriginal people. Longer-term benefits have emerged from the partnerships established during this project, as this has opened the door for a range of other collaborative research projects such as the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge program (TRaCK).