Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery, June 2026

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – NORTHERN TERRITORY COASTAL LINE FISHERY, JUNE 2026

I, BELINDA JAGO, Branch Head, Ocean and Wildlife, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water, have considered in accordance with section 303FN of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the application from the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and advice on the ecological sustainability of the operation. I am satisfied on those matters specified in section 303FN of the EPBC Act. I hereby declare the operations for the harvesting of specimens that are or are derived from fish taken in the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery as defined in the management regime in force under the Fisheries Act 1988 (NT) and the Fisheries Regulations 1992 (NT), but not including:

1.     specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 209 of the EPBC Act (Australia’s List of Migratory Species), or
2.    specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 248 of the EPBC Act (Australia’s List of Marine Species), or
3.     specimens that belong to eligible listed threatened species, as defined under section 303BC of the EPBC Act, or
4.    specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 303CA of the EPBC Act (taxa listed in the CITES Appendices), except for grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), creek whaler (C. fitzroyensis), bull shark (C. leucas), common blacktip shark (C. limbatus), blacktip reef shark (C. melanopterus), milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), and whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus), or
5.     Golden snapper (Lutjanus johnii),

to be an approved wildlife trade operation, in accordance with subsection 303FN(2) and paragraph 303FN(10)(d), for the purposes of the EPBC Act.

Unless amended or revoked, this declaration:

1.               is valid until 30 June 2031 and;
2.              is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in Schedule 1.

This instrument commences on 30 June 2026.

Dated this 23rd day of June 2026

BELINDA JAGO

………….…….…………………………………

Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water

Notes:

1.         Under the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024, a person whose interests are affected by this decision may apply for a statement of reasons and for independent review of the decision. An application for a statement of reasons may be made in writing to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water within 28 days of the date of the declaration. An application for independent review may be made to the Administrative Review Tribunal on payment of the relevant fee within 28 days of the date of the declaration, or if reasons are sought, within 28 days of receipt of reasons. Further information may be obtained from the Director, Sustainable Fisheries & CITES Policy Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Email: sustainablefisheries@dcceew.gov.au.
2.         Australia’s obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) are met through Part 13A of the EPBC Act. Specimens of species listed in Appendix II of Taxa listed in the CITES Appendices under section 303CA of the EPBC Act may only be exported, under a CITES export permit issued under the EPBC Act, if Australia’s CITES Scientific Authority has issued a non-detriment finding for that species. Further information is available from https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/wildlife-trade/cites.

Schedule 1

Declaration of the harvest operations of the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery as an approved wildlife trade operation, June 2026

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS (section 303FT)

Relating to the harvesting of specimens that are, or are derived from fish, other than specimens of species listed under Part 13 and Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), unless those specimens are subject to any exceptions as outlined in this declaration, taken in the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery:

Condition 1

Export approval for the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery (the fishery) has been provided on the basis the fishery will be managed in accordance with the Fisheries Act 1988 (NT) and Fisheries Regulations 1992 (NT).

During the term of the export approval, the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must:

1.       Consistent with Appendix B of the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries, provide the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the department), with an annual report by 1 December each year.

Annual reports should include species-specific harvest data (including discards) for any species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

1.       In the interim, if there are any intended changes to legislative instruments, or material changes to management arrangements, that may affect the basis on which the export accreditation was made for this fishery, the department must be notified.

Condition 2

An up-to-date Ecological Risk Assessment is an important management tool to ensure the fishery is operating sustainably in context of all fishery components and to identify if improvements are required.

The Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must review and update the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery’s Ecological Risk Assessment by 15 December 2028.

Condition 3

To ensure there is sufficient information available to monitor and manage Australia’s take and trade of species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must ensure that any retained or discarded catch of CITES-listed species is recorded and reported to a species level wherever possible (except for Carcharhinus tilstoni and C. limbatus which can be recorded as blacktip sharks). Outcomes of the data collection must be included as part of annual reporting under Wildlife Trade Operation Condition 1.