Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Queensland Line Fishery (Reef), January 2024

Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Queensland Line Fishery (Reef), January 2024

made under section 303FN of the

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Compilation No. 1

Compilation date: 19 March 2025

Includes amendments: F2025N00247

About this compilation

This compilation

This is a compilation of the Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Queensland Line Fishery (Reef), January 2024 that shows the text of the law as amended and in force on 19 March 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. Any uncommenced amendments affecting the law are accessible on the Register (www.legislation.gov.au). The details of amendments made up to, but not commenced at, the compilation date are underlined in the endnotes. For more information on any uncommenced amendments, see the Register for the compiled law.

Application, saving and transitional provisions for provisions and amendments

If the operation of a provision or amendment of the compiled law is affected by an application, saving or transitional provision that is not included in this compilation, details are included in the endnotes.

Editorial changes

For more information about any editorial changes made in this compilation, see the endnotes.

Modifications

If the compiled law is modified by another law, the compiled law operates as modified but the modification does not amend the text of the law. Accordingly, this compilation does not show the text of the compiled law as modified. For more information on any modifications, see the Register for the compiled law.

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If a provision of the compiled law has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law, details are included in the endnotes.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 – QUEENSLAND LINE FISHERY (REEF), JANUARY 2024

I, KATRINA MAGUIRE, Division Head, International Environment, Reef and Ocean Division, 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 Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, public comments on the proposal as required under section 303FR 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 Queensland Line Fishery (Reef) as defined in the management regime in force under the:

• Fisheries Act 1994 (Qld)
• Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019 (Qld)
• Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019 (Qld)
• Fisheries Declaration 2019 (Qld)
• Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019 (Qld),

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 (Australia’s CITES List),

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 18 January 2027, and
2.              is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in Schedule 1.

Notes: 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.

Schedule 1

Declaration of the harvest operations of the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef) as an approved wildlife trade operation, January 2024

Condition 1

The operation of the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef) must be carried out in accordance the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994, Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019 and the Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019.

Condition 2

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must inform the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water of any intended material changes to the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef) management arrangements that may affect the assessment against which Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 decisions are made.

Condition 3

The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries 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 Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must provide annual reports on the Line Fishery (Reef) to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water by 1 December annually, as per Appendix B of the Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries ‑ 2nd Edition (2007).

Condition 5

The Queensland Department of Primary Industries must:

a) by 5 December 2025, provide the results of an updated stock assessment for saddletail snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) in the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef) to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

b) by 31 March 2026, publish the updated stock assessment for saddletail snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) in the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef).

c) until the stock assessment has been completed, monitor catches and take immediate action to avoid overfishing if the stock is found to reach the limit reference point (20% unfished biomass) as defined in the harvest strategy for the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef).

Condition 6

By 30 November 2025, the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries must implement measures to update existing information on non‑retained catch in the Queensland Line Fishery (Reef). This includes information on discarded catch as well as depredation and any interactions with species protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

This information must be representative of all commercial sectors of the fishery and sufficient to inform ongoing stock assessments. If the new information suggests there has been a significant change in non‑retained catch composition or quantity since 2011, this new information must be used to review assumptions made in ecological risk assessments, the harvest strategy and other management arrangements as necessary.

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

The Legislation Act 2003 authorises First Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial and presentational changes to a compiled law in preparing a compilation of the law for registration. The changes must not change the effect of the law. Editorial changes take effect from the compilation registration date.

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