Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery, November 2023

Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery, November 2023

made under section 303FN of the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Compilation No. 2

Compilation date: 29 November 2025

Includes amendments: F2025N00944

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery, November 2023 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 29 November 2025 (the compilation date).

The notes at the end of this compilation (the endnotes) include information about amending laws and the amendment history of provisions of the compiled law.

Uncommenced amendments

The effect of uncommenced amendments is not shown in the text of the compiled law. The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Register (www.legislation.gov.au).

Application, saving and transitional provisions

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Modifications

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Self‑repealing provisions

If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – NORTHERN TERRITORY COASTAL LINE FISHERY, NOVEMBER 2023

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 Industry, Tourism and Trade 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 or invertebrates, taken in the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery as defined in the management regime in force under the:

 Fisheries Act 1998 (NT)

 Fisheries Regulations 1992 (NT),

but not including:

(a) specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 209 of the EPBC Act (Australia’s List of Migratory Species), or

(b) specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 248 of the EPBC Act (Australia’s List of Marine Species), or

(c) specimens that belong to eligible listed threatened species, as defined under section 303BC of the EPBC Act, or

(d) specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 303CA of the EPBC Act (Australia’s CITES List), except for Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), Creek whaler (Carcharhinus fitzroyensis), Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), Common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus), Milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus), and Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)

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:

a) is valid until 30 June 2026 and;

b) is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in the Schedule.

Notes:                                                                                                                                                                          

1.               Under the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975, 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 Appeals 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 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 Australia’s CITES list 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, including a list of species for which non detriment findings have been issued and the fisheries from which they may be sourced, 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, November 2023

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS (section 303FT)

Relating to the harvesting of fish specimens that are, or are derived from, fish or invertebrates, other than specimens of species listed under Part 13 and Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), taken in the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery:

Condition 1

Operation of the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery must be carried out in accordance with management arrangements in force under the Northern Territory of Australia Fisheries Act 1988 (NT) and the Northern Territory of Australia Fisheries Regulations 1992 (NT).

Condition 2

The Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade must inform the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of any intended material changes to the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery management arrangements that may affect the assessment against which Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 decisions are made.

Condition 3

The Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade must inform the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of any intended changes to fisheries legislation that may affect the legislative instruments relevant to this approval.

Condition 4

The Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade must produce and present reports on the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water by 30 June annually, as per Appendix B of the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries – 2nd Edition. The first report is due 30 June 2024.

Condition 5

a) The Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must monitor the commercial catch of golden snapper by Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery licences, including discards, on a spatial basis.

b) If the catch (including discards) of golden snapper under commercial licences from the overfished reef complexes adjacent to Darwin (designated as the high recreational fishing effort area) exceeds 1125 kilograms within a licensing year:

(i) the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must prohibit commercial fishing within the high recreational effort area for the remainder of that licensing year; and

(ii) the Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must notify the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of:

(a) the date on which catch exceeded 1125 kilograms within that licensing year

(b) the implementation of management arrangements to prohibit fishing in the high recreational effort area.

c) The Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must include in its annual reports to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water information on the spatial distribution of golden snapper catches by Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery licences.

Condition 6

By 1 July 2024, the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade must require all catch of CITES listed species (including discards where possible) in the Northern Territory Coastal Line Fishery, is recorded to a species level, except for Carcharhinus tilstoni and Carcharhinus limbatus which can be recorded as Blacktip sharks. These catches must be reported to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water as part of the annual reporting requirement referred to in Condition 4.

Endnotes

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

The endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.

The following endnotes are included in every compilation:

Endnote 1—About the endnotes

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history

Abbreviation key—Endnote 2

The abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.

Legislation history and amendment history—Endnotes 3 and 4

Amending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.

The legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.

The amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.

Editorial changes

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If the compilation includes editorial changes, the endnotes include a brief outline of the changes in general terms. Full details of any changes can be obtained from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel.

Misdescribed amendments

A misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe how an amendment is to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, then the misdescribed amendment can be incorporated through an editorial change made under section 15V of the Legislation Act 2003.

If a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the amendment is not incorporated and “(md not incorp)” is added to the amendment history.

Endnote 2—Abbreviation key

Endnote 3—Legislation history

Endnote 4—Amendment history