« Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery
Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, May 2021
Agency application on ecological sustainability
About the application
Export approval for the Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery expires on 31 August 2021. In April 2021, the Department of Agriculture, Water, and the Environment received an application ‘Sustainable Fisheries Strategy 2017-2027’ from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. The application has been prepared to address the Australian Government ‘Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries – 2nd edition’. 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 Queensland East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fisheries Act 1994 and subordinate legislation including; the Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019; and Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019, 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 East Coast Otter Trawl Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fisheries Act 1994 and subordinate legislation including; the Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019; and Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019.
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
Status report for reassessment and approval under protected species and export provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (PDF - 2.7 MB)
Status report for reassessment and approval under protected species and export provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (DOCX - 4.04 MB)
The call for public comments is open from 11 May 2021 until 15 June 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 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, would you please discuss the matter with the Director of the Wildlife Trade Assessments Section (02) 6274 1917.