The Gamay Initiative

The Gamay Initiative brings together expertise from a range of disciplines to promote science and management in Gamay (Botany Bay) that protects biodiversity and ecosystem functioning whilst meeting the social, cultural and economic needs of humans now and into the future.

The aim of the Gamay Initiative is to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between different stakeholder groups. These collaborations drive innovative scientific research across a range of programs to inform policy, management actions and general understanding of this important urban coastal waterway.

Gamay Botany Bay, or Gamay (alternatively spelt Kamay) as it is called by First Nations people of Australia is a coastal urban waterway of immense social, cultural and ecological value. The waters of Gamay have been fished and farmed by First Nations people of Gamay for tens of thousands of years. The bayis also where British explorers first arrived in Australia in 1770, and since this time has become a hub for industrialisation and human modification.

Gamay’s long and complex history with humans means that successful and sustainable management requires consideration of the often competing interests of many different stakeholders including; government, industry, national and international transport, recreational users, residents, local Indigenous communities and the environment.

By providing a collaborative platform of engagement for Gamay stakeholders, the Gamay Initiative aims to incorporate scientific knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge from First Nations people of Gamay to provide data and expertise that will enhance ecosystem health and support sustainable management of urban coastal waterways.