ISWAG is the Kimberley Indigenous Saltwater Advisory Group – a regional network of Indigenous saltwater managers from across the Kimberley coast. ISWAG was established to improve the way sea country science is done in the Kimberley, with Traditional Owners at the centre.

This guide – the Kimberley Saltwater Research Guide – is ISWAG’s framework for how researchers and Traditional Owners should work together on sea country science. It is a best-practice process endorsed by all ISWAG member groups, building on collaborative science protocols that have been developed and refined since 2014.

ISWAG acts as the first point of contact for researchers wanting to work on Kimberley sea country – providing a single, coordinated entry point into a network of eleven Traditional Owner groups and ranger teams.

See the About page for more on ISWAG and the guide

This guide and the application form are for anyone wanting to conduct saltwater research, monitoring or management activities in the Kimberley. This includes university and research institution scientists, government agencies and environmental managers, NGOs and conservation organisations, and independent researchers.
It applies to projects that are in the Kimberley region, in marine or coastal areas, and involve research, fieldwork, desktop work, management or monitoring. It does not apply to purely land-based research, commercial projects, or filming and photography proposals.

See the Guide page and the About page for more detail

Once you have submitted your application, log in to your account to check its current status. Applications show as one of the following:

• Draft – started but not yet submitted
• Submitted – received by ISWAG
• Seeking More Information – more details requested
• Approved – approved by the relevant PBC(s)
• Not Approved – not approved at this time

Assessment timelines vary between groups. Some can respond within four weeks; others may take up to twelve months or longer. See the Indicative Timeframes section for more detail.

Log in to check your application status via the Proposals page

Yes. The Resources section on this page includes downloadable templates to help you prepare your application and research agreement:

• First contact letter to the PBC – adapt this for your first approach to a Traditional Owner group
• Template Project Planning tools
• Essential legal clauses for research agreements – the essential terms that must be included in any research agreement
• Templates for seeking consent for publications media, or other outputs
• Standard research agreement – a template you can adapt where the PBC does not have its own

We also recommend reading the full Kimberley Saltwater Research Guide before you begin.

For a project on one Traditional Owner group’s Country, your first step is to contact the Key Contact for that group. The PBC Contacts page (in the footer) has contact details for each member group.

Use the map of Traditional Owner groups and Countries to identify whose Country your project is in. If you are unsure, contact the ISWAG Coordinator for advice before approaching groups directly.

Always contact groups early – at least six months before you plan to start fieldwork.

See PBC Contacts in the footer and the Map of TOs and Countries on the About page

For projects spanning multiple Traditional Owner groups’ Countries – such as research on migratory species like green turtles or dugong – you will need to consult each relevant group separately. Each PBC has its own governance process and must separately consent.

For regional projects, ISWAG can act as a first point of contact and help connect you with the relevant groups. Contact the ISWAG Coordinator before submitting your application.

The ISWAG Turtle and Dugong Initiative (see About page) is an example of how large regional collaborative projects work in practice.

Contact the ISWAG Coordinator – iswag@yawuru.org.au – before submitting a regional application

The Kimberley Saltwater Research Guide is not a legal permit. It is a best-practice framework endorsed by Traditional Owner groups across the Kimberley. Following it is not a legal requirement – but it is the agreed way to work respectfully and collaboratively on sea country research in the region.

Completing the application is a first step towards co-designing a project. Negotiating and signing a Research Agreement with the relevant PBC(s) is required before commencing work under this guide. The Research Agreement is a legally binding document.

See the About page for more on the guide.

This guide is not your only approval process. Depending on your project, you may also need permits from DBCA, Australian Marine Parks, your research institution’s ethics committees, or other agencies. Start these processes in parallel. See the Guide for a full list.

See the Guide page for the full list of other approvals.

A Research Agreement with each group involved is required before your project can begin. It is a legally binding document setting out data ownership, benefit-sharing, IP, co-authorship terms, and the project plan.

The most important tip: always ask the PBC for their own research agreement template first and use it – do not ask the PBC to use your institution’s template.

If the group does not have their own template, use the Standard Research Agreement in the Resources section. Your agreement must include the Essential Clauses covering data ownership and management, Project IP, Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), co-authorship, and benefit-sharing.

Download the Key Legal Clauses and Standard Research Agreement from the Resources section below.