Wednesday March 2nd: Torres Strait Islander leaders and climate scientists have released a joint statement in response to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. The statement urges all politicians to take immediate action to protect the Torres Strait from the impacts of climate change. The statement will be delivered in the coming weeks to politicians from all major parties.
According to Yessie Mosby, Torres Strait 8 claimant and Kulkalgal Traditional Owner, “Our old people were scientists in our cultural way. They taught us how to monitor, observe and respect nature, so that we can rely on her. For tens of thousands of years, the saltwater people of Zenadh Kes have lived in harmony with the land, sea and sky.
“We’ve always been able to read the seasons. We know when to expect certain fish or birds, when to plant and when to harvest. We know when to expect the monsoon season and the dry season but now it’s hard to read the weather – everything is unpredictable now.
“Scientists from around the world have confirmed what we already know – climate change is happening now. Here in the Torres Strait we see our island homes wash away, taking our loved ones’ remains with her due to sea level rise. We need urgent government action.”
According to Dr Simon Bradshaw, Climate Council Research Director, “The impacts of climate change on islands such as Warraber, Poruma, Masig, Boigu and Saibai are truly heartbreaking, causing not only loss of land and homes, but threatening thousands of years of culture and the deep connection of communities to their islands.
“Torres Strait Islanders have contributed almost nothing to the causes of climate change, yet are being hit first and hardest by its impacts. It is way past time for our decision makers to listen to those on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Only then do we truly understand what is at stake, and also recognise the strength and resilience of Torres Strait Islanders in responding to this crisis.
“The science is clearer than ever: the very survival of many of the Torres Strait Islands depends on Australia and the world doing everything possible to immediately accelerate the transition beyond fossil fuels, while at the same time providing far greater support to communities with adapting to changes that can no longer be avoided.”
The statement has been coordinated by the Our Islands Our Home campaign, a campaign led by Torres Strait Islanders to protect their island homes. As part of this campaign, eight claimants from the Torres Strait, also known as the #TorresStrait8, have brought a human rights complaint against the Australian Federal Government to the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations over the Government’s inaction on climate change.
