Pilbara Trap Fishery - Application 2020

« Western Australian Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery

Environmental Assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, September 2020

Agency application on ecological sustainability

About the application

Export approval for the Western Australian Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery ceased on 30 November 2007. No product harvested from the Western Australian Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery could be legally exported after this date. In September 2020, the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment received an application ‘Application for reassessment under the EPBC Act of the Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery’ from the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. The application has been prepared to address the Australian Government ‘Guidelines for the ecologically sustainable management of fisheries – 2nd edition’. 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). Given the time elapsed since the last export approval declaration the application will be assessed as a new fishery.

Consideration will be given to:

• declaring the Western Australian Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fish Resources Management Act 1994; Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 (FRMR); FRMA Section 43 Order — Prohibition on Commercial Fishing for Demersal Scalefish (Pilbara Area) Order 1997 and Prohibition on Fishing by Line from Fishing Boats (Pilbara Waters) Order 2006, 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 Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery, as managed consistent with the Fish Resources Management Act 1994; Fish Resources Management Regulations 1995 (FRMR); FRMA Section 43 Order — Prohibition on Commercial Fishing for Demersal Scalefish (Pilbara Area) Order 1997 and Prohibition on Fishing by Line from Fishing Boats (Pilbara Waters) Order 2006.

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