Declaration of an Approved Wildlife Trade Operation – Victorian Eel Fishery, June 2024 (Cth)

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

DECLARATION OF AN APPROVED WILDLIFE TRADE OPERATION – VICTORIAN EEL FISHERY, JUNE 2024

I, BELINDA JAGO, Branch Head, Ocean and Wildlife Branch, as Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water, have considered in accordance with section 303FN of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) the application from the Victorian Fisheries Authority and advice on the ecological sustainability of the operation. 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 Victorian Eel Fishery as defined in the management regime in force under the:

* Fisheries Act 1995 (Vic) * Fisheries Regulation 2019 (Vic) * Victorian Eel Fishery Management Plan 2017,

but not including:

(a) specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 209 of the EPBC Act (Australia's List of Migratory Species), or

(b) specimens that belong to taxa listed under section 248 of the EPBC Act (Australia's List of Marine Species), or (c) specimens that belong to eligible listed threatened species, as defined under section 303BC of the EPBC Act, or (d) 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 20 June 2027 and b) is subject to the conditions applied under section 303FT specified in Schedule 1.

Dated this 21st day of June 2024

Belinda Jago ………….…….………………………………… Delegate of the Minister for the Environment and Water