20 December 2004
Northern Territory Shark Fishery Given Green Ecological Green Light
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Kon Vatskalis MLA
Minister for Fisheries
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The Northern Territory ’s Shark Fishery has been given a significant tick of approval, officially accredited as sustainable, recognising that the management arrangements comply with national guidelines for sustainable fisheries.
Fisheries Minister, Kon Vatskalis, says the accreditation is a lengthy and exacting process which investigates all aspects of the management and ecology of the fishery.
“The extensive consultation and co-operation between the Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development’s (DBIRD) Fisheries Group and key stakeholder groups has resulted in the fishery being declared a Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) under the Commonwealth Government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999,” said Mr Vatskalis.
“The accreditation indicates that the fishery is being managed sustainably and also means that the fishery is exempt from Commonwealth export controls.”
The NT Shark Fishery directly employs over 50 people and in 2003 was worth in excess of $10 million in gross production value.
“The Fisheries Group will continue to monitor the fishery and undertake further research to improve our understanding of the status of target stocks. By-product and by-catch in the shark net and line fishery will also be closely monitored,” he said.
Mr Vatskalis said the accreditation came with a set of conditions outlining improvements to the fishery’s management regime.
“Under the EPBC Act, all Australian export fisheries and those fisheries that have the potential to affect protected species must be assessed to ensure fishery management practises meet essential environmental requirements,” he said.
“The ecological assessment is an on-going process with annual reporting required. While the Territory has done very well in attaining the WTO status for the shark fishery, we will continue to improve management as required to maintain the sustainability of the fishery.”