« Western Australian West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and Development Zones
Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development, August 2022
Agency application on ecological sustainability
About the application
The current export approval for the Western Australian West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and Development Zones expires on 10 January 2023 and the fishery is now due for assessment for ongoing export accreditation. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water received an application from the Western Australian Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development on 3 August 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 (Cth) (EPBC Act).
Consideration will be given to:
- declaring the Western Australian West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and Development Zones, as managed consistent with the Western Australian Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 and the Western Australian Fish Resource Management Regulations 1995, 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 Western Australian West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and Development Zones, as managed consistent with the Western Australian Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 and the Western Australian Fish Resource Management Regulations 1995.
- accrediting the management plan, regime or policy for the Western Australian West Coast Purse Seine Managed Fishery and Development Zones, as managed consistent with the Western Australian Aquatic Resources Management Act 2016 and the Western Australian Fish Resource Management Regulations 1995, 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
DPIRD Submission for the Reassessment of the WCPSMF (PDF 430 KB)
DPIRD Submission for the Reassessment of the WCPSMF (DOCX 243 KB)
Appendix 1 – West Coast Purse Seine Fishery Status reports (PDF 82.1 KB)
Appendix 1 – West Coast Purse Seine Fishery Status reports (DOCX 59.4 KB)
Appendix 2 – ERA for the State-Wide Small Pelagic Scalefish Resource (PDF 4.18 MB)
Appendix 2 – ERA for the State-Wide Small Pelagic Scalefish Resource (DOCX 7.88 MB)
Appendix 3 – 2019–2021 Data (PDF 481 KB)
Appendix 3 – 2019–2021 Data (DOCX 92.6 KB)
Send your comments
The call for public comments is open from 12 August 2022 until 14 September 2022.
Any comments received will form part of the documentation provided to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water, 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.
Comments should be submitted via email to: sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au.
Submissions may also be posted to:
The Director
Sustainable Fisheries Section
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
GPO Box 3090
CANBERRA ACT 2601