Western Australian Octopus Fisheries - agency application 2016

« Western Australian Octopus Fisheries

Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Western Australian Department of Fisheries, December 2016

Agency application on ecological sustainability

About the application

The current export approval for the Western Australian Octopus Fisheries is valid until 17 March 2017 and the fishery is now due for assessment for ongoing export accreditation. The Department of the Environment and Energy received an application, ‘Application to the Department of the Environment and Energy on the Western Australian Octopus Fisheries- December 2016’, from the Western Australian Department of Fisheries in December 2016. 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 any conditions or 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 Western Australian Octopus Fisheries as managed consistent with the Western Australian Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995, 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 Western Australian Octopus Fisheries under the provisions of the Western Australian Fish Resources Management Act 1994 and the Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995.

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

Download the application

• Application to the Department of the Environment and Energy on the Western Australian Octopus Fisheries- December 2016 (PDF - 388.35 KB) ​
• Appendix 1 – Octopus Interim Managed Fishery Management Plan 2015 (PDF - 234.53 KB) ​
• Appendix 2 -  Cockburn Sound (Line and Pot) Management Plan 1995 (PDF - 187.23 KB) ​
• Appendix 3 – Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2012/13  
• Appendix 4 – Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2013/14
• Appendix 5 – Status reports of the fisheries and aquatic resources of Western Australia 2014/15

The call for public comments is open from 15 December 2016 until 20 January 2017.

Please submit your comments to:

The Director
Sustainable Fisheries 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 and Energy 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.