The Budj Bim Cultural Landscape lies within the Country of the Gunditjmara and is comprehensively managed and protected under a system comprising Gunditjmara customary knowledge and practices in conjunction with National and State legislation, management plans and associated policies and programs. The management system combines Traditional Owner and adaptive management approaches, in which governance and decision-making is shared.

In the early 19th century, Gunditjmara Country was occupied by British colonists and access to Country became increasingly denied to Traditional Owners until the late 20th century. The Gunditjmara retained connections to the aquaculture system through knowledge of the stories of Budj Bim and associated land-use practices. In recent years, the work of the Gunditjmara within Budj Bim has increasingly turned to the renewal and transmission of cultural traditions and practices through the access to and control of those parts of Country owned and managed by them.