The Federal Government has given the North Australian Indigenous Land and Sea Management Alliance $3.8 million to develop local community plans for the sustainable management of dugong and marine turtles.

Project coordinator Joe Morrison says traditional owners will formulate the plans in five regions across northern Australia.

He says dugong and turtles are important cultural animals and also a source of food.

Mr Morrison says there was great interest in the idea from traditional owners at an earlier forum.

"We had quite a number of workshops at that forum where coastal Indigenous groups across northern Australia were very keen to hear about the project but also to take this bottom-up approach so that traditional owners are driving the management," he said.