« Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery
Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Australian Fisheries Management Authority, May 2022
Agency application on ecological sustainability
About the application
The current export approval for the Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery expires on 11 November 2022 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 26 May 2022.
The application has been prepared to address the Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries – 2nd edition and to provide updates on the implementation of recommendations made in the previous Australian Government assessment. The application will be used to assess the operation of the fishery for the purposes of Parts 13 and 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Consideration will be given to:
- declaring the Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Cth) and the Fisheries Management Regulations 2019 (Cth), as an approved wildlife trade operation under section 303FN of the EPBC Act
- including in the list of exempt native specimens, specimens harvested in the Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Cth) and the Fisheries Management Regulations 2019 (Cth).
- accrediting the management plan, regime or policy for the Commonwealth Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery in force under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Cth) and Fisheries Management Regulations 2019 (Cth), under sections 208A, 222A, 245 and 265 of the EPBC Act.
In accordance with the provisions of sections 303FR and 303DC of the EPBC Act, you are invited to comment on this proposal.
How can I get involved?
Download the application
AFMA Submission for the Reassessment of the SBTF (PDF 1.1MB)
AFMA Submission for the Reassessment of the SBTF (DOCX 4.7MB)
The call for public comments is open from 29 June 2022 until 28 July 2022.
Please submit your comments to:
The Director
Sustainable Fisheries Section
Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment
GPO Box 858
CANBERRA ACT 2601
Submissions may also be emailed to sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au
Any comments received will form part of the documentation provided to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, or the Minister’s delegate for a decision. Copies of comments may be made available to other persons with a particular interest in the application. Please advise in your comment if you wish to claim any areas of confidentiality.
Note: The Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment and its relevant responsibilities will shift to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water as of 1 July 2022.