Traditional land owners of the aboriginal Arnhem Land called on the Northern Territory government on Friday to halt the planned off coast manganese exploration projects by a company until such time that actual consultations have already been conducted with them.

The NT government granted licenses to Perth-based Groote Resources Ltd (ASX: GOT) for exploration rights on a shallow marine area surrounded by Groote Eylandt and the NT mainland, with additional rights to exploit two smaller adjacent islands.

The Anindilyakwa Land Council chief executive Richard Preece conceded that representatives sent by Groote Resources have initiated consultation sessions with the area's traditional owners.

Mr Preece said that the company may have made known to the owners their plans for the islands but no information were shared on Groote's activities that could impact the area's seabed, which he admitted is not a requirement stipulated on the company's licenses.

He said that in light of the area's cultural and environmental importance, the company could have initiated some form of consultations with the islands' inhabitants but to date, "there have been no consultations at all with the seabed."

Mr Preece said that the current situation is reflective of the flaws that plagued the NT government's policy on indigenous interests in protecting the seabeds that sit around the territory's coastline.

He urged the government to take a second look on its present legislations so they can make the appropriate adjustments in order to ensure that "there should be proper protection of Indigenous interests on those seabeds."