In order to export Australian native animal or plant specimens and/or CITES listed specimens for commercial purposes, the specimens must come from an approved program such as a wildlife trade operation.
There are different types of Wildlife trade operations. These include market testing operations, small-scale operations, developmental operations, commercial fisheries, provisional operations or existing stocks operations. Approval is for a maximum of three years.
You can read more about commercial fisheries on our fisheries page.
Wildlife trade operations are made and amended in the following ways:
- A declaration of a wildlife trade management plan is made through an instrument signed by the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and published on the Federal Register of Legislation.
- A declaration may be varied by specifying additional or new conditions, or revoking or varying existing conditions by a subsequent instrument published on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Application form and guidelines
Applying for approval of a wildlife trade operation
If you would like your operation to be included in the list of approved wildlife trade operation (to be assessed as suitable under national environment law), complete the:
Application form and guidelines for approval of a wildlife trade operation (PDF - 248.35 KB)
Application form and guidelines for approval of a wildlife trade operation (DOCX - 160.25 KB)
Commercial trade in live native mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians is prohibited.
Exporters sourcing specimens from an approved program must also have export permit issued by the Department.
Approved wildlife trade operations
The wildlife trade operations currently approved under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are listed below. Conditions of approval, species covered and period of approval, are specified in the individual declarations.
For operations with expired approvals see: Archived wildlife trade operations
Approved fisheries wildlife trade operations can be found on the department’s fisheries page.
Existing stocks
State | Program name | Species | Organisation | Approval period | Declarations and variations | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From | To | |||||
Qld | Jardini Pty Ltd | Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) | Jardini Pty Ltd | 15 April 2023 | 15 April 2026 | Jardini Pty Ltd |
Qld | Hinternoosa Hatchery Australian Lungfish | Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) | Hinternoosa Hatchery | 6 May 2021 | 23 April 2024 | Declaration - F2021N00086 - registered 6 May 2021 |
Vic | Commercial export of preserved taxidermy specimens of native Australian wildlife and non-native exotic species | South Pacific Taxidermy Pty Ltd | 26 June 2023 | 27 June 2026 | South Pacific Taxidermy | |
Vic | Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 | Macropus giganteus, Macropus fuliginosus | Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning | 11 December 2020 | 10 December 2023 | Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 |
WA, NT | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) | Kakadu Plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) | 7 July 2023 | 7 July 2026 | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) |
Small scale
State | Program name | Species | Organisation | Approval period | Declarations and variations | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From | To | |||||
ACT | Paul Hailes Queen Ants trading as ANTSHOPAUS PTY LTD | Australian native ant species | Paul Hailes Queen Ants trading as ANTSHOPAUS PTY LTD | 30 September 2022 | 30 September 2025 | Paul Hailes Queen Ants trading as ANTSHOPAUS PTY LTD |
NSW | Mark's Products and Services | Various parrot and raptor species | Mark's Products and Services | 29 June 2023 | 30 June 2026 | Mark's Products and Services |
NSW | MDS Australia Pty Ltd | Various avian species | MDS Australia Pty Ltd | 2 October 2019 | 2 October 2022 | MDS Australia Pty Ltd |
NT | Southern Cross Botanicals | Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) | Southern Cross Botanicals | 29 March 2021 | 29 March 2024 | Southern Cross Botanicals |
Qld | Australian Insect Farm – Invertebrates | Australian native invertebrates | Australian Insect Farm | 9 July 2021 | 9 July 2024 | Australian Insect Farm |
Qld | Hinternoosa Hatchery Australian Lungfish | Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) | Hinternoosa Hatchery | 10 May 2021 | 23 April 2024 | Declaration - F2021N00088 - registered 10 May 2021 |
Qld | Queen Ant Harvesting (Victoria and Queensland) | Various ant species | Queen Ant Harvesting | 16 March 2020 | 16 March 2023 | Queen Ant Harvesting |
SA | Harvest of Yacca Gum from Kangaroo Island | Yacca Gum Xanthorrhoea semiplana ssp. tateana | Craig Mostyn Group | 19 November 2019 | 18 November 2022 | Yacca Gum |
SA | Venom, venom products and other products derived from venomous snakes | Various snake species (excluding EPBC Act threatened species) | Venom Supplies | 26 November 2020 | 26 November 2023 | Venom Supplies |
Tas | Lenah Game Meats Pty Ltd – Harvest and Commercial Export of Wallaby Products from Tasmania | Bennett’s Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) and Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) | Lenah Game Meats | 26 April 2023 | 26 April 2026 | Lenah Game Meats |
Tas | Tasmanian Native Flora and Fillers | Various native species | Tasmanian Native Flora and Fillers | 16 September 2021 | 15 September 2024 | Tasmanian Native Flora and Fillers |
Tas | Wildlife Trade Operation for the Export of Wallaby Products that have been Harvested from Tasmania 2021-2024 | Red-necked (Bennett’s) Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) and Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) | Wild Game Resources Australia | 29 September 2021 | 28 September 2024 | Wild Game Resources Australia |
Vic | Commercial export of preserved taxidermy specimens of native Australian wildlife and non-native exotic species | South Pacific Taxidermy Pty Ltd | 23 June 2023 | 24 June 2026 | South Pacific Taxidermy | |
Vic | Mr Fern - Victorian tree ferns | Dicksonia antarctica and Cyathea australis | Mr Fern Nurseries | 6 December 2019 | 5 December 2022 | Salvage-harvest and export native Australian tree-ferns |
Vic | Queen Ants trading as Fluyt | Australian native ant species | Queen Ants trading as Fluyt | 22 February 2023 | 22 February 2026 | Queen Ants trading as Fluyt |
Vic | Queen Ant Harvesting (Victoria and Queensland) | Various ant species | Queen Ant Harvesting | 16 March 2020 | 16 March 2023 | Queen Ant Harvesting |
Vic | Queen of Ants | Australian native Queen ants | Queen of Ants | 22 October 2020 | 22 October 2023 | Queen of Ants |
WA | Crazy Crabs | Land Hermit Crabs (Coenobita variabilis) | Crazy Crabs | 22 December 2021 | 22 December 2024 | Crazy Crabs |
WA | Tycraft Pty Ltd Giant Clams | Giant clams (Tridacna maxima) | Tycraft Pty Ltd, trading as Cocos Marine | 19 April 2019 | 15 April 2022 | Tycraft Pty Ltd Giant Clams |
Developmental
State | Program name | Species | Organisation | Approval period | Declarations and variations | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
From | To | |||||
Vic | Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 | Macropus giganteus, Macropus fuliginosus | Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning | 11 December 2020 | 10 December 2023 | Victorian Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan 2021-2023 |
WA, NT | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) | Australian native bushfoods | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) | 29 June 2023 | 29 June 2026 | Northern Australia Kakadu Plum Alliance Cooperative Limited (NAAKPA) |
Market testing
There are currently no wildlife trade operations under this heading