Cooperative fishing interactions between Aboriginal Australians and dolphins in eastern Australia

2002/03/01 by David T. Neil, D. T. Neil
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Human-Animal Interaction Studies #Marine animal studies overview #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

paper · doi:10.2752/089279302786992694

openalex publication_date 2002/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30

Abstract

Published eyewitness accounts and stories from Aboriginal Australians are used to provide an overview of the geographical extent and characteristics of cooperative fishing between Aboriginal Australians and dolphins in eastern Australia. These sources indicate that cooperative fishing was geographically widespread in eastern Australia, involved both bottlenose dolphins and orcas, and had a significance (emotional and spiritual) to Aboriginal people beyond the acquisition of food. These fishing interactions represent both context and precedent for the economic and emotional objectives of contemporary human–dolphin interactions such as dolphin provisioning.

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