Sustainable Fisheries call for public comment…

Queensland Sea Cucumber Fisher (East Coast) Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The current export approval for the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery is valid until 30 September 2021 and the fishery is now due for assessment for ongoing export accreditation. The Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment received an application from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 04 June 2021. An updated application was received by the department on 04 August 2021.

The application has been prepared to address the Australian Government Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries - 2nd edition and to provide updates on the implementation of any conditions or recommendations made in the previous Australian Government assessment. The application will be used to assess the operation of the fishery for the purposes of Part 13 and Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), this includes Australia’s obligations as a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

At the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) a proposal was adopted to include three species of sea cucumber, including Holothuria whitmaei and H. fuscogilva, in Appendix II of CITES. The listing came into effect on 28 August 2020. These species are found in Australian waters and are caught in the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery (East Coast).

Consideration will be given to:

· declaring the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery (East Coast) as managed consistent with the Fisheries Act 1994 (Queensland) and Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019 and Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019 (Queensland), as an approved wildlife trade operation under section 303FN of the EPBC Act, and

· including in the list of exempt native specimens, specimens harvested in the Queensland Sea Cucumber Fishery (East Coast) under the provisions of the Fisheries Act 1994 (Queensland) and Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019 and Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019 (Queensland).

In accordance with the provisions of sections 303FR and 303DC of the EPBC Act, you are invited to comment on this proposal.

The call for public comments is open from 5 August 2021 until 9 September 2021.

Electronic copies of the application and the guidelines are available from the Department’s website at http://www.environment.gov.au/topics/marine/fisheries or a hard copy can be mailed to you upon request.

Submit your comments via email at: sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au

Submissions may also be posted to:

The Director
Wildlife Trade Assessments Section
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Any comments received will form part of the documentation provided to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, or Minister’s delegate for a decision. Copies of comments may be made available to other persons with a particular interest in the application. If you wish to claim confidentiality for any part of your comments, please contact the Director of the Wildlife Trade Assessments Section by emailing sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au.

Yours Sincerely,

Wildlife Trade Assessments Section