COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation-MDS Australia–2019
I, John Gibbs, Assistant Secretary, Wildlife Trade, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, am satisfied that an operation conducted by Molecular Diagnostic Services Australia Pty Ltd (MDS Australia) to harvest and export avian blood samples for specialised sexing and diagnostic purposes, is a small-scale operation, as defined by regulation 9A.20(2) under subsection 303FN(10) (b). I declare under subsection 303FN (2) that MDS Australia is an approved wildlife trade operation.
This declaration has effect subject to the following conditions applied under S303FT:
1. The approved wildlife trade operation must be undertaken in accordance with the application submitted to the Department of Environment and Energy by Molecular Diagnostic Services Australia Pty Ltd on 29 June 2019.
2. The export of specimens from the approved wildlife trade operation is limited to blood samples and excludes specimens from any species listed as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) or included on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
3. Molecular Diagnostic Services Australia Pty Ltd must abide by the procedure for exporting biological samples as detailed in the–Policy for the Transfer of Biological Specimens to Overseas Laboratories for Infectious and Parasitic Disease Testing available at: http://www.agriculture.gov.au/.
4. Specimens eligible for export permit application must be from the list of species approved under the wildlife trade operation, and included in the application submitted to the Department on
29 June 2019. Additional species may only be exported with the prior approval of the Department of the Environment and Energy.
5. Molecular Diagnostic Services Australia Pty Ltd must maintain accurate and up-to-date records. If requested, records must be provided to the Department of the Environment and Energy.
6. An annual report must be submitted to the Wildlife Trade Assessments Section, Department of the Environment and Energy by 30 June each year and detail:
a) the number of blood samples from each species collected in the previous 12 months; and
b) the number of blood samples from each species exported in the previous 12 months.
This declaration is valid for three years from the date of registration on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Dated this 30th day of September 2019
John Gibbs
………….…….……………………….........
Delegate of the Minister for the Environment
A person whose interests are affected by this declaration may, within 28 days, make an application in writing to the Department of the Environment and Energy for the reasons for the decision.
An application for independent review of the decision (under section 303GJ(1) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999) may be made to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), on payment of the relevant fee (currently $884 or reduced fee where applicable due to financial hardship) by the applicant, either within 28 days of receipt of the reasons for the decision, or within 28 days of this declaration if reasons for the decision are not sought. Applications should be made to the Deputy Registrar, AAT in your Capital City. Please visit the AAT’s website at http://www.aat.gov.au/ for further information
You may make an application under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) to access documents relevant to this decision. For further information, please visit http://www.environmnet.gov.au/foi/index.html.
Further enquiries should be directed to the Director, Wildlife Trade Assessments Section, Department of the Environment and Energy, Email: wta@environment.gov.au, Telephone: (02) 6274 1900 (option 2).