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Proposal to declare an approved Wildlife Trade Operation for the harvest of scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead sharks

« Northern Territory Offshore Net and Line Fishery

Proposal to declare an approved wildlife trade operation for the harvest of scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) and great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran) sharks from the Northern Territory Offshore Net and Line Fishery for consideration under Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Department of the Environment, August 2015

Background

On 14 September 2014 the listing of three hammerhead shark species, scalloped hammerhead (S. lewini), great hammerhead (S. mokarran) and smooth hammerhead (S. zygaena)) on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) took effect. While Australia is a range state for the three hammerhead species, only scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead sharks are caught in the Northern Territory Offshore Net and Line Fishery.

The international trade implications of the CITES Appendix II listing include:

  • a CITES export (or import) permit under the EPBC Act is required
  • that product for export is obtained from a fishery with an approved wildlife trade operation declaration that is current at the time the harvest occurs
  • that a non detriment finding has been made by the Australian CITES Scientific Authority certifying that the sum total harvest of the species from the wild will not be detrimental to its survival in the wild. The Australian CITES Scientific Authority in the Australian Government Department of the Environment has developed a national non detriment finding to ensure that Australia’s legislated CITES obligations are met. For more information please visit Non-detriment finding for five CITES Appendix II shark species.

Effect of this proposal

Both scalloped and great hammerhead sharks are caught as byproduct in the fishery. Both species have previously been approved for export from the fishery. However, since the CITES listing of the species came into effect on 14 September 2014, only scalloped hammerhead have been approved for export. This is due to a technicality relating to the instruments which approve export. The effect of the current proposal is to restore the previous situation where both species were approved for export and extend this export approval, while the Northern Territory Government is finalising new management arrangements for the fishery. Once the new management arrangements are finalised, the fishery will then be re-assessed under the EPBC Act for export approval, anticipated for 2016. This will include a further mandatory public comment period.

Comments invited

Consideration will be given to declaring an approved wildlife trade operation under Part 13A (section 303FN) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) for the harvest of scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead sharks from the Northern Territory Offshore Net and Line Fishery.

In accordance with the provisions of section 303FR of the EPBC Act, you are invited to comment on this proposal.

Download relevant documents

The call for public comments is open from 5 August 2015 until 4 September 2015.

Please submit your comments to:

The Director
Sustainable Fisheries Section
Department of the Environment
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Submissions may also be sent by fax to (02) 6274 2875, or email to sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au

Any comments received will form part of the documentation provided to the Australian Government Minister for the Environment for a decision. Copies of comments may be made available to other persons with a particular interest in the application. If you wish to claim confidentiality for any part of your comments, would you please discuss the matter with the Director of the Sustainable Fisheries Section (02) 6274 1917.