COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION
I, Paul Murphy, Assistant Secretary, Wildlife Trade and Biosecurity Branch, Delegate of the Minister for the Environment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), am satisfied that an operation to harvest and export Australian land hermit crabs (Coenobita variabilis) by Merv Cooper’s Crazy Crabs is a small-scale operation as defined by regulation 9A.20 under subsection 303FN(10).
a) Having considered any comments that were given in response to an invitation under section 303FR(1) of the EPBC Act; and
b) being satisfied as to the matters set out in section 303FN of the EPBC Act,
I declare that Merv Cooper’s Crazy Crabs for the commercial wild harvest of Land Hermit Crabs Coenibita variabilis from north Western Australia (the operation) is an approved wildlife trade operation for the purposes of section 303FN of the EPBC Act.
This declaration has effect subject to the following conditions applied under Section 303FT:
a) The operation is to be undertaken in accordance with the proposal submitted by Merv Cooper and exhibited for public comment on 29 October 2015;
b) The applicant must maintain a valid Western Australian Department of Fisheries Commercial Fishing License during the period of this approval and meet all licence conditions including but not limited to annual reporting;
c) All specimens of C. variabilis must be collected in accordance with any conservation or management plans for the collection sites and all relevant Western Australian wildlife and environmental legislation. In particular, collection must be consistent with any approved management plan for marine and terrestrial reserves for Eighty Mile Beach area;
d) The export of C. variabilis is not to exceed 30,000 specimens per year;
e) This declaration is valid for three years from the date of gazettal.
Dated this 11th day of December 2015
............................Paul Murphy..............................
Delegate of the Minister for the Environment
A person whose interests are affected by this declaration may, within 28 days, make an application in writing to the Department of the Environment, for the reasons for the decision. An application for independent review of the decision (under section 303GJ(1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), on payment of the relevant fee (currently $861 or reduced fee where applicable due to financial hardship) by the applicant, either within 28 days of receipt of the reasons for the decision, or within 28 days of this declaration if reasons for the decision are not sought. Applications should be made to the Deputy Registrar, AAT in your Capital City. Please visit the AAT’s website at http://www.aat.gov.au/ for further information. You may make an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to access documents relevant to this decision. For further information, please visit http://www.environment.gov.au/foi/index.html. Further enquiries should be directed to: the Director, Wildlife Trade Assessments Department of the Environment, Telephone: (02) 6274 2880 Email:wta@environment.gov.au