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Proposal to declare an approved wildlife trade operation for the incidental harvest of smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) shark from the South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery - 2015

« South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery

Proposal to declare an approved wildlife trade operation for the incidental harvest of smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena) shark from the South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery for consideration under Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

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 smooth hammerhead is caught in the South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery in small numbers.

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

  • a CITES export (or import) permit under the EPBC Act is required, for more information please visit Internationally endangered plants and animals (CITES)
  • 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.

This proposal

Smooth hammerhead shark is incidentally caught as byproduct in the South Australian Marine Scalefish Fishery and is currently approved for export from this fishery. This proposal is to extend this export approval for smooth hammerhead shark, while the South Australian Government finalises a management strategy to address an unrelated issue in the fishery. Once the new strategy is finalised, the entire fishery will then be re-assessed under the EPBC Act for export approval, anticipated for late 2015. This will include a further mandatory public comment period.

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

The call for public comments is open from 20 August 2015 until 17 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.