Australian indigenous islanders win marine rights court battle

This is an interesting case because they islanders were not claiming ownership of the ocean but simply to be consulted for future development and formal acceptance of their deep links to the body of water called the Torres Strait.

BBC:

Community elders say it will help to maintain their unique maritime culture and provide economic opportunity.

At the heart of their claim was a call for their spiritual ties to the sea to be formally recognised.

The court's ruling does not grant islanders exclusive rights over the vast area of ocean, nor were they claimed.

More than 200 islands are peppered throughout the Torres Strait.

Its people speak two distinct languages. Their traditional beliefs are based on the sea, the land and the sky, which have been portrayed over thousands of years in a rich array of stories, songs and dances.