EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Amendment of List of Exempt Native Specimens – Queensland Coral Fishery, October 2021
(Issued by the Minister for the Environment as specified in the enabling legislation)
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) places certain obligations on the Commonwealth to protect and conserve Australia’s native wildlife by regulating international trade in order to protect targeted species against over exploitation and to protect Australian and international ecosystems.
Section 303DB of the EPBC Act provides for the establishment of a list of exempt native specimens (the list). Specimens included in the list are exempt from the trade control provisions that apply to regulated native specimens.
Purpose and operation
The purpose of this instrument is to delete from the list specimens that are or are derived from fish or invertebrates taken in the Queensland Coral Fishery, and any and notations specified in Schedule 1 to the instrument.
Schedule 2 to the instrument also includes in the list specimens that are or are derived from fish or invertebrates taken from the same Queensland Coral Fishery, with notations that inclusion of the specimens in the list are subject to restrictions or conditions that the specimen, or the fish or invertebrate from which it is derived, was taken lawfully, and that the specimens are included in the list while a declaration as an approved wildlife trade operation is in place for the Fishery as specified in Schedule 2.
Listing these specimens in the list will allow the export of these specimens without the need for export permits, while an approved wildlife trade operation declaration for the Fishery is in force. A link to the declaration is accessible via the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s (the department) website at: https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/marine/fisheries/qld/coral.
The only effect of this instrument is to allow continued export for these specimens’ subject to the conditions provided in the notation as specified in Schedule 2.
Incorporation
All state legislation referred to in Schedule 2 to the instrument is incorporated as in force at the time this instrument commences. All state legislation incorporated by reference in the instrument can be freely accessed on the following website: https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au (as of October 2021).
Commonwealth Acts and disallowable instruments (or instruments which were disallowable under Commonwealth legislation at any time before 1 January 2005) referred to in this instrument are incorporated as in force from time to time (section 14 of the Legislation Act 2003). However, references to Commonwealth instruments which are exempt from disallowance are incorporated as in force at the time this instrument commences (section 14 of the Legislation Act 2003).
All Commonwealth legislation can be freely accessed at the Federal Register of Legislation – https://www.legislation.gov.au/.
Strategic assessment not required
Subsection 303DC(1A) of the EPBC Act requires the Minister, in deciding whether to amend the list, to rely primarily on the outcomes of any assessment carried out for the purposes of Divisions 1 or 2 of Part 10 of the EPBC Act.
A strategic assessment is only required for fisheries managed under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 (Cth) or the Torres Strait Fisheries Act 1984 (Cth). A strategic assessment may be made for commercial fisheries under Division 1. However, there are no current strategic assessments in respect of the fishery from which the specimens listed in Schedule 2 are taken or derived.
The fishery listed in Schedule 2 to the instrument are not managed by the Commonwealth under the aforementioned Acts. Therefore, the EPBC Act does not require there to be a strategic assessment for the purposes of Part 10 of the Act in relation to the fishery named in Schedule 2.
The Australian Government and State/Northern Territory governments have negotiated Offshore Constitutional Settlement (OCS) arrangements that mandate each jurisdiction’s responsibilities for managing the different fisheries resources in inshore and offshore areas. Under the OCS arrangements commercial fisheries managed by the States/NT may operate in Commonwealth waters, but operators are subject to federal laws in relation to interactions with protected species and ecological communities, and for impacts on the Commonwealth marine area.
Specimens that may be included in the list
The list established under section 303DB(1) of the EPBC Act must not include a specimen that belongs to an eligible listed threatened species unless the conditions in subsection 303DB(6) are satisfied. Under the EPBC Act, eligible listed threatened species are those species listed in the extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, or vulnerable categories established under section 178 of the EPBC Act (see sections 303BC and 528 of the EPBC Act).
Those specimens that belong to species listed in the conservation dependent category of the EPBC Act are not eligible listed threatened species and may therefore be included in the list, subject to the conditions provided in the notation.
The list established under section 303DB(1) of the EPBC Act must not include a specimen that belongs to species listed on Australia’s List of Migratory Species established under section 209 of the EPBC Act. The List of Migratory Species includes all migratory species that are native species, and species that are included in the appendices to the Bonn Convention, and all migratory bird species included in annexes established under international agreements with Japan (JAMBA) and China (CAMBA), and all native species identified in any other list or agreement approved by the minister.
The list established under section 303DB(1) of the EPBC Act must not include a specimen that belongs to a species listed on the List of Marine Species established under section 248 of the EPBC Act. When first established, the List of Marine Species contained all marine species identified at section 248 of the EPBC Act. The List of Marine Species also contains additional species approved by the Minister in consultation with the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
In accordance with section 303CA of the EPBC Act, specimens that are derived from taxa that are listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are not included in the list.
Assessment of specimens
In determining to include the specimens in the list, the Minister had regard to the Australian Government’s ‘Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries – 2nd Edition.' These Guidelines establish the criteria for assessment of the ecological sustainability of the relevant fishery’s management arrangements.
The guidelines are accessible via the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s website at: https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/marine/publications/guidelines-ecologically-sustainable-management-fisheries.
Consultation
Subsection 303DC(3) of the EPBC Act provides that before amending the list, the Minister must consult such other Commonwealth minister or ministers and such other minister or ministers of each state and self-governing territory, as the minister considers appropriate. The minister may also consult with such other persons and organisations as the minister considers appropriate.
The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has been consulted and supports amending the list to include product derived from the Queensland Coral Fishery.
In addition, the proposal to amend the list was advertised on the department’s website and comment was invited from interested people from 20 August 2021 until 20 September 2021.
Twenty-seven public comments were received, 24 from coral harvesters in the fishery and associated industry. They were largely expressions of support for the continued operation of the fishery, and support for the existing management framework.
There were three public comments that expressed concern about:
- a perceived lack progress against meeting conditions from the previous two wildlife trade operation approvals
- the absence of a recent Ecological Risk Assessment
- the absence of stock assessments
- the lack of quality and timely reporting of harvest
- the lack of harvest limits
- the impact of harvesting coral in light of recent bleaching events
- the rapidly increasing harvest from the fishery and the perceived inability of management to effectively constrain harvest or assess its impact.
These matters were considered throughout the assessment of the fishery and have either been addressed by Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries or are being addressed via conditions on wildlife trade approvals granted in association with this amendment of the List of Exempt Native Specimens.
This instrument is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislation Act 2003.
The instrument commences the day after it is registered.
STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011
Amendment of List of Exempt Native Specimens – Queensland Coral Fishery, October 2021
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised or declared in the international instruments listed in Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.
Overview of the Legislative Instrument
The purpose of this instrument is to delete from the list specimens that are or are derived from fish or invertebrates taken in the Queensland Coral Fishery and any and notations specified in Schedule 1 to the instrument.
Schedule 2 to the instrument also includes in the list specimens that are or are derived from fish or invertebrates taken from the Queensland Coral Fishery with notations that inclusion of the specimens in the list are subject to restrictions or conditions that the specimen, or the fish or invertebrate from which it is derived, was taken lawfully, and that the specimens are included in the list while a declaration as an approved wildlife trade operation is in place for the Fishery as specified in Schedule 2.
Listing these specimens in the list will allow the export of these specimens without the need for export permits, while an approved wildlife trade operation declaration for the Fishery is in force. A link to the declaration is accessible via the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment’s website at: https://www.awe.gov.au/environment/marine/fisheries/qld/coral.
The only effect of this instrument is to allow continued export for these specimens subject to the conditions provided in the notation as specified in Schedule 2.
Human rights implications
This Legislative Instrument does not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms.
Conclusion
This Legislative Instrument is compatible with human rights as it does not raise any human rights issues.
Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment