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This paper argues that women's everyday practice of sharing fish at Warraber Island (Torres Strait) can be understood as a form of moral transaction. Gift-fish are shown to be socially entangled', a fundamental mode of expressing kin relatedness as well as providing an indication of the current state of such relations. Fish distribution is portrayed locally as both an instance of generosity and of obligation, demonstrating a person's desire to engage in socially valued behaviour or correct their past failings. Importantly, I suggest that fish-giving (and receiving) has a distinctly generational character, carrying different emphases across one's life-span. The paper reflects on the tensions involved in strategic efforts by women to reconcile their limited capacity to meet expectations from a wide range of kin and neighbours, while affirming idealised visions of communally shared moral values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands have been concerned about the safety of their traditional seafoods since the discovery of high cadmium levels in the liver and kidney of dugong and turtle in 1996. This study explored links between urinary cadmium levels and consumption frequency of these traditional foods and piloted a community-based methodology to identify potential determinants of cadmium exposure and accumulation. Consultations led to selection of one community for study from which 60 women aged 30 to 50 years participated in health and food frequency survey, urine collection and a routine health check. Urinary cadmium levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry; data were analysed using SPSS-14. The geometric mean cadmium level in this group of women was 1.17 (arithmetic mean 1.86) μg/g creatinine with one-third exceeding 2.0 μg/g creatinine. Heavy smoking (≥300 pack years) was linked to higher cadmium in urine, as was increasing age and waist circumference. Analysis of age-adjusted residuals revealed significant associations (P<0.05) between cadmium level and higher consumption of turtle liver and kidney, locally gathered clams, peanuts, coconut, chocolate and potato chips. Dugong kidney consumption approached significance (P=0.06). Multiple regression revealed that 40% (adjusted r2) of variation in cadmium level was explained by the sum of these associated foods plus heavy smoking, age and waist circumference. No relationships between cadmium and pregnancy history were found. This paper presents a novel approach to explore contributions of foods and other factors to exposure to toxins at community level and the first direct evidence that frequent turtle (and possibly dugong) liver and kidney and wild clam consumption is linked to higher urinary cadmium levels among Torres Strait Islander women.Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology (2007) 17, 298–306. doi:10.1038/sj.jes.7500547; published online 24 January 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Torres Strait Islands are among the most vulnerable regions to climate change in Australia. This paper examines the implications of climate change for Torres Strait Islanders human rights protected by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ('ICCPR'). A key purpose is to assess the viability of a complaint being made to the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the ICCPR Optional Protocol, contending that Australia's ongoing failure to adopt sufficient measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions constitutes a violation of Islanders' Covenant rights. Importantly, it is argued that despite the Rudd Government's ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and announcement of improved domestic emissions abatement measures, Australia must still adopt much tougher measures before it will satisfy its obligations under the ICCPR. The article concludes that whilst a claim by Islanders would have compelling legal merit, the complexity of issues such as causation and standing mean that it is unclear how the Committee would ultimately determine the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an analysis of the legal resources available for the inhabitants of the islands of Torres Strait, Australia, which may help them to deal with the climate change effects on these islands. Several areas of the law are explored including the indigenous people's property rights, human rights, criminal law, and environmental protection laws.

Examines the background to education in the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland amid its colonial context. Influence of colonial policies on education in the island; Response by the Islanders to the education given by the government; Impact of the local context on the education received by the Islanders.