South Coast Aboriginal People have had a longstanding resource conflict with the state over their customary fishing for Mutton fish and Lobsters, both of which are now important export fisheries. This conflict is experienced by South Coast People as a ‘criminalisation’ of their culture. A recent Report to the NSW Legislative Council found “[t]hat the compliance activity and prosecutions against Aboriginal people for practising cultural fishing, particularly on the South Coast of NSW, are unacceptable and creating perverse outcomes.” This seminar will examine the conflict of laws, their implementation and South Coast Aboriginal Peoples’ agency in ensuring their customary rights are afforded equal weight in the NSW legal system.