Mud Crabbing To Assist Breaking The Cycle Of Reoffending
6 September, 2002

The Department of Primary Industries and Cape York Partnerships Office are working together to assist indigenous youth in far north Queensland to break the cycle of reoffending.

The Queensland Fisheries Service (QFS) has granted the Boys in the Bush Program a permit to catch and sell live male mud crabs subject to minimum size limits from the Archer and Love Rivers near Aurukun on Cape York Peninsula.

The permit allows the youth to take up to 150 mud crabs a week to sell in Cairns, the money from which will be used to pay for fuel, food and other related expenses.

DPI senior project officer Peter McCulkin, Weipa, said the project aimed to become self-funding but would not affect any commercial crabbing enterprises in the district.

Mr McCulkin said QFS officers would also be involved in training the youth in boat handling, sea safety and mud crabbing skills.

“However, let me stress this is not an economically driven initiative but a social enterprise program, teaching teamwork and responsibility as well as valuable practical skills,” he said.

“Importantly, team members are given ownership of an enterprise which ultimately leads to confidence and trust in themselves, their families and their communities.”

The Boys in the Bush program has been operating successfully for the past four years distilling and selling eucalyptus and melaleuca oils.

Mr McCulkin said catching and selling mud crabs would be a valuable extension to this program

“DPI is proud to be supporting a project which has proven to be highly effective in diverting young indigenous offenders from penetrating deeper into the justice system,” he said.

Department of Primary Industries Media Unit
GPO Box 46 Brisbane Q 4001 Ph 07 3239 6380
DPI Call Centre 13 25 23 (weekdays 8 am to 6 pm)

Further information: Peter McCulkin (07) 4069 7822; 0429 069 500 (mob)
Communications Officer: Liz Smith (07) 3224 7757

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