COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED SMALL-SCALE WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – ANTASTIC 2024-2027 I, Belinda Jago, Branch Head, Ocean and Wildlife Branch, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water am satisfied that the operation conducted by Antastic to commercially export native Australian queen ants, is a small-scale Wildlife Trade Operation, as defined by regulation 9A.20(2) under subsection 303FN(10)(b). I declare under subsection 303FN(2) that Antastic is an approved small-scale Wildlife Trade Operation. This declaration has effect subject to the following conditions applied under section 303FT: 1. The operation must be carried out in accordance with the Wildlife Trade Operation (Small-scale) for Antastic 2024-2027 submitted on 2 February 2024. 2. Annual harvest for export is restricted to the following native ant taxa. Harvest levels must not exceed the maximum quantities set out for each genus. Genus Annual harvest quota Amblyopone 1000 Anonychomyrma 1000 Aphaenogaster 1000 Brachyponera 1000 Camponotus 1000 Calomyrmex 1000 Crematogaster 1000 Dolichoderus 1000 Iridomyrmex 1000 Leptomyrmex 1000 Lioponera 1000 Melophorus 1000 Meranoplus 1000 Monomorium 1000 Myrmecia* 1000 Notoncus 1000 Nylanderia 1000 Oecophylla 1000 Opisthopsis 1000 Pheidole 1000 Podomyrma 1000 Polyrhachis 1000 Pseudoneoponera 200 Pseudonotoncus 200 Pseudoponera 200 Rhytidoponera 1000 Solenopsis 1000 Technomyrmex 1000 Teratomyrmex 200 Tetramorium 1000 Tetraponera 200 * Myrmecia inquilina is excluded from harvest. 3. Harvest is only permitted from private properties identified in the proposal and from non-protected public areas in Queensland. 4. The approval holder may apply in writing to the department to add additional taxa and harvest locations to the approval. Additional taxa or specimen harvested at additional locations can only be harvested for export after approval from the department is obtained. 5. Harvest must not involve any excavation or damage to existing ant nests or colonies. 6. The declaration is valid for three (3) years from the date of its registration on the Federal Register of Legislation. 7. Mr Ben Ferguson, on behalf of Antastic, must submit a report to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water every 6 months. The first report is due by the 10th of August 2024. The reports must include details of: * The total number of specimens harvested at the genus level, harvesting dates and locations. * A summary of the queen ant population monitoring completed at each harvest location, including a yearly comparison of the number of surveys completed, survey methodology, survey timing and the outcomes. Dated this 12th day of March 2024 Belinda Jago Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water A person whose interests are affected by this declaration may, within 28 days, make an application in writing to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water 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 $1,826 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 Administrative Appeals Tribunal | Administrative Appeals Tribunal (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 https://www.dcceew.gov.au/about/reporting/freedom-of-information. Further enquiries should be directed to the Director, Wildlife Trade Assessments Section, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water by email: wta@dcceew.gov.au or telephone: 1800 075 065.