Sustainable Fisheries call for public comment on Queensland Coral Fishery…
Queensland Coral Fishery Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
The current export approval for the Queensland Coral Fishery is valid until 18 June 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 Australian Fisheries Management Authority on 18 March 2021. An updated application was received by the department on 8 April 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).
Consideration will be given to:
· declaring the Queensland Coral Fishery as managed consistent with the Fisheries Act 1994 (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 Coral Fishery under the provisions of the Fisheries Act 1994 (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 12 April 2021 until 13 May 2021.
Please submit your comments to:
The Director
Wildlife Trade Assessments Section
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Submissions may also be emailed to sustainablefisheries@awe.gov.au.
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@awe.gov.au.
The application can be found on the department’s website here.