COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION
QUEEN OF ANTS
I, Belinda Jago, Branch Head, Ocean and Wildlife Branch, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, am satisfied that the Queen of Ants operation, to harvest and export live queen ants from Australian native taxa, is a small-scale operation, as defined by regulation 9A.20(2) under subsection 303FN(10)(b). I declare under subsection 303FN(2) that Queen of Ants is an approved wildlife trade operation.
This declaration has effect subject to the following conditions applied under S303FT:
- The operation is to be undertaken in accordance with the Wildlife Trade Operation Proposal - Queen of Ants, submitted to the department on 1 March 2023.
- Annual harvest for export is restricted to the following native ant taxa. Harvest levels must not exceed the maximum quantities set out for each genus.
Genus | Annual harvest quota |
Amblyopone | 1000 |
Anonychomyrma | 1000 |
Aphaenogaster | 1000 |
Brachyponera | 1000 |
Camponotus | 1000 |
Calomyrmex | 1000 |
Crematogaster | 1000 |
Dolichoderus | 1000 |
Iridomyrmex | 1000 |
Leptomyrmex | 1000 |
Lioponera | 1000 |
Mayriella | 1000 |
Melophorus | 1000 |
Meranoplus | 1000 |
Monomorium | 1000 |
Myrmecia* | 1000 |
Notoncus | 1000 |
Nylanderia | 1000 |
Oecophylla | 1000 |
Opisthopsis | 1000 |
Orectognathus | 1000 |
Pheidole | 1000 |
Podomyrma | 1000 |
Polyrhachis | 1000 |
Pseudoneoponera | 50 |
Pseudonotoncus | 50 |
Pseudoponera | 50 |
Rhopalomastix | 50 |
Rhopalothrix | 50 |
Romblonella | 50 |
Rhytidoponera | 1000 |
Solenopsis | 1000 |
Stereomyrmex | 50 |
Stigmacros | 1000 |
Strumigenys | 50 |
Tapinoma | 50 |
Technomyrmex | 1000 |
Teratomyrmex | 50 |
Tetramorium | 1000 |
Tetraponera | 50 |
Turneria | 50 |
*Subspecies Myrmecia sp. 17 is excluded from this approval.
3. Harvest is only permitted from the private property and non-protected public areas in Victoria.
4. The approval holder may apply in writing to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to add additional taxa and harvest locations. Additional taxa can only be exported after approval from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is obtained.
5. Wild harvest must not involve any excavation or damage to existing ant nests or colonies.
6. This declaration is valid for three (3) years from the date of registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.
7. Erin Funnell on behalf of Queen of Ants must submit Harvest reports to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water every six (6) months. The first report is due by 1 March 2024.
The report must include:
- The total number of ants harvested by genus, harvesting dates, harvest locations including coordinates, and the name of the harvester.
- A summary of the queen ant population monitoring completed at each harvest location, including a yearly comparison of the number of surveys completed, survey methodology, survey timing and the outcomes.
Dated: 17 OCTOBER 2023
Belinda Jago
………….…….……………………….........
Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water
A person whose interests are affected by this declaration may, within 28 days, make an application in writing to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 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 $1,826 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 Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water by email: wta@environment.gov.au
or telephone: (02) 6274 1900 (option 2).