The Torres Strait lies between Australia's Cape York Peninsula and Papua New Guinea. It is home to three dedicated Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and encompasses 14 Torres Strait Island community-based ranger groups on 13 island communities.
The Warraberalgal and Porumalgal Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) was dedicated in July 2014. It comprises nine culturally significant islands, sandbanks and rocks with a total are of 63 hectares. The people of Warraber (Sue Island) and Poruma (Coconut) Island are the owners of the IPA. Together with the islands of Iama (Yam) and Masig (Yorke), they make up the Kulkagal; people of the Central Torres Strait Islands.
The IPA holds significant natural and cultural values. Vegetation on the islands ranges from forests on some of the larger islands to simple grass and herb land communities on the smaller sand kays. To date, 65 species of birds nest across the islands of the IPA. Three types of turtle – the Green Turtle, Hawkesbill Turtle and Flatback Turtle – are also known to nest on the islands that form part of the IPA.
