Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Tasmanian Scallop Fishery, July 2026

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – TASMANIAN SCALLOP FISHERY, JULY 2026

I, BELINDA JAGO, Branch Head, Ocean and Wildlife Branch, 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 Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania 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 invertebrates taken in the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery as defined in the management regime in force under the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 (Tas) and associated subordinate legislation the Fisheries (Scallop) Rules 2020 (Tas), 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).

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 20 July 2031 and;
2.              is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in Schedule 1.

Dated this 20th day of July 2026

BELINDA JAGO

………….…….…………………………………

Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water

Notes:

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 Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Email: sustainablefisheries@dcceew.gov.au.

Schedule 1

Declaration of the harvest operations of the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery as an approved wildlife trade operation, July 2026

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), unless those specimens are subject to any exceptions as outlined in this declaration, taken in the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery:

Condition 1

Export approval for the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery (the fishery) has been provided on the basis the fishery will be managed in accordance with the Fisheries (Scallop) Rules 2020 (Tas) in accordance with the Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 (Tas).

During the term of the export approval, the Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment 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 30 September each year.
2.       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 approval was made for this fishery, the department must be notified.

Condition 2

The Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment must develop and publish a harvest strategy for the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery by 1 December 2027.

This should include clearly defined management objectives for the fishery, along with supporting performance indicators, triggers, and management responses.

Condition 3

The Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment must implement a data collection program for the Tasmanian Scallop Fishery to improve the reliability of information on discarded bycatch and validate protected species interactions by 31 January 2028.

This may involve the use of improved logbook reporting, independent monitoring, fishery independent surveys, or other means.

The information collected must be sufficient to demonstrate the accuracy of the discarded bycatch and protected species interaction data collected in the fishery.

Condition 4

The Tasmanian Department of Natural Resources and Environment must:

1.       publish an ecological risk assessment for Tasmanian Scallop Fishery considering impact of scallop dredging on target, byproduct, bycatch (including protected species), habitats, and the broader ecosystem by 31 January 2029.
2.       develop and implement ecological risk mitigation measures to address any risk identified as being high or severe in the ecological risk assessment by 24 January 2031.