COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – SOUTH AUSTRALIAN LAKES AND COORONG FISHERY, MARCH 2019

I, PAUL MURPHY, Assistant Secretary, Wildlife Trade and Biosecurity Branch, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment, have considered in accordance with section 303FN of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the application from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA). I am satisfied on those matters specified in section 303FN of the EPBC Act. I hereby declare the operations for the harvesting of specimens that are or are derived from fish or invertebrates, taken in the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery, as defined in the management regime in force under the Fisheries Management Act 2007 (SA) and the SA Fisheries Management (Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations 2009 and the SA Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017, but not including:

• specimens that belong to eligible listed threatened species, as defined under section 303BC of the EPBC Act, or
• specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 303CA of the EPBC Act (Australia’s CITES list),

to be an approved wildlife trade operation, in accordance with subsection 303FN (2) and paragraph 303FN (10) (d), for the purposes of the EPBC Act.

Unless amended or revoked, this declaration:

a)              is valid until 25 February 2022 and;

b)             is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in the Schedule.

Dated this  26th  day of  February  2019

………….…….…………………………………

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 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.environment.gov.au/foi/index.html.

Further enquiries should be directed to the Director, Wildlife Trade Assessments Section, Department of the Environment and Energy, Telephone: (02) 6274 1917 Email: sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au.

SCHEDULE

Declaration of the Harvest Operations of the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery as an approved wildlife trade operation, March 2019

ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS (section 303FT)

Relating to the harvesting of fish specimens that are, or are derived from, fish or invertebrates, other than specimens of species listed under Part 13 and Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), taken in the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery:

1. Operation of the South Australian (SA) Lakes and Coorong Fishery will be carried out in accordance with the Management Plan for the South Australian Lakes and Coorong Fishery 2016, the SA Fisheries Management (Lakes and Coorong Fishery) Regulations 2009, and the SA Fisheries Management (General) Regulations 2017, in force under the South Australian Fisheries Management Act 2007.

2.       The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, to inform the Department of

       the Environment and Energy of any intended material changes to the SA Lakes and Coorong 

       Fishery management arrangements that may affect the assessment against which Environment

       Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 decisions are made.

3.       The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to produce and present reports   

       to the Department of the Environment and Energy annually, as per Appendix B of the Guidelines

       for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries - 2nd Edition.

4.    The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to:

a)      continue regularly reviewing the management arrangements for Murray Cod stocks in the SA Lakes and Coorong Fishery, on an annual basis as a minimum.

b)      implement appropriate and timely protection and management measures, until Murray Cod stock levels increase to a sustainable level.

5.   The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to:

a)  conduct a review of the current (temporary) management arrangements for Black Bream,

     and implement appropriate management arrangements for the 2019 spawning season.

b)  advise the Department of the outcomes of the review in 2019.

c)  provide the Department with the report Monitoring salt wedge conditions and black bream           

     (Acanthopagrus butcheri) recruitment in the Coorong during 2017- 18 once released, and

     advise of any associated changes to Black Bream management arrangements.

6.   The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to continue to:

 a)  monitor catch level trends for Greenback Flounder, and continue to develop/implement     

      management measures as required to:

• minimise the impact from fishing
• minimise the impact from environmental conditions known to affect the species.

      b)  monitor catches of juvenile and female Yelloweye Mullet, and implement measures as  

           required, to ensure that this species does not become recruitment overfished.

      c)  improve monitoring of discards in the Lakes and Coorong Fishery, particularly for Mulloway,  

           and:

• monitor trends in stock levels of all target species, and implement measures to mitigate risks identified in the June 2011 risk assessment for the Lakes and Coorong Fishery.

7.  The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to:

 a)  provide advice of when the trial of electronic reporting is to commence.

 b)  provide results of the trial, with a view to implementation of electronic reporting in the  

      Lakes and Coorong Fishery, and:

• provide a report to the Department, particularly highlighting the reporting of discards, and the effect of Long-nosed Fur Seals on the fishery.

8. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia to:

• provide the Department with a copy of SARDI’s annual fishery statistics report (2019) following their assessment of status stocks for key target species, including Mulloway.