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Queensland Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery - Application 2019

« Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery

Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries December 2019

Agency application on ecological sustainability

About the application

The current export approval for specimens taken in the Queensland Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery, formerly known as the Fin Fish (Stout Whiting) Trawl Fishery, is valid until 14 February 2020. The fishery is now due for assessment for ongoing export accreditation.

The Department of the Environment and Energy received an application, ‘Queensland Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery – Status report for reassessment and approval under protected species and export provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, December 2019’, from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in December 2019. The application has been prepared to address the Australian Government ‘Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries – 2nd edition’ and to provide updates on the implementation of recommendations made in the previous Australian Government assessment. The application will be used to assess the operation of the fishery for the purposes of Parts 13 and 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

Consideration will be given to:

  • declaring the Queensland Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery, as managed consistent with the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994, Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019, and the Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019, as an approved wildlife trade operation under section 303FN of the EPBC Act, and
  • including in the list of exempt native specimens, specimens harvested in the Queensland Commercial Trawl (Fin Fish) Fishery, as managed consistent with the Queensland Fisheries Act 1994, Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Fisheries (Commercial Fisheries) Regulation 2019, Fisheries Declaration 2019, and the Fisheries Quota Declaration 2019.

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

How can I get involved?

Download the application

Status report for reassessment and approval under protected species and export provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, December 2019 (PDF - 876.55 KB)
Status report for reassessment and approval under protected species and export provisions of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, December 2019 (DOCX - 444.12 KB)

The call for public comments is open from 20 December 2019 until 31 January 2020.

Please submit your comments to:

The Director
Wildlife Trade Assessments Section
Department of the Environment and Energy
GPO Box 787
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Submissions may also be emailed 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, please discuss the matter with the Director of the Wildlife Trade Assessments Section (02) 6274 1917.