Recreational fishing nominated as 'key threatening process'

Recreational fishing has been nominated as a key threatening process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), reports key angling body VRFish after being told verbally of the nomination while attending the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) RecFishing Forum in Canberra yesterday (May 17, 2016).

"We had to check the calendar to see if it was the 1st of April. Regrettably, it's not. A similar nomination was made in 2012 and it was rejected by the Federal Environment Minister," Dallas D'Silva, GM of VRFish, said.

Following the nomination, a new public consultation process will now be triggered, Dallas D'Silva says, adding that recreational fishers around the nation will have lots questions and comments about this news about one of our most popular national pastimes.

If it did go through, recreational fishing for southern bluefin tuna could be banned in Australian waters.

"It's extremely disappointing to see the anti-fishing community put up an ambit claim to stop recreational fishing.

"We were notified at an AFMA meeting by the staff member from the Environment Department.

"We are very fortunate in Victoria to have Jaala Pulford MP, Minister responsible for fisheries and the Andrews Government who want to grow recreational fishing in recognition of the massive social and economic benefits.

"Rest assured VRFish will work with our State and national colleagues to make sure this nonsensical proposal is unsuccessful. It is also worth noting that AFMA do not have a role in this issue," D'Silva wrote on his VRFish social media sites.

Key threatening processes under the EPBC Act
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) provides for the identification and listing of key threatening processes.

A threatening process is defined as a key threatening process if it threatens or may threaten the survival, abundance or evolutionary development of a native species or ecological community. For example, incidental catch (or bycatch) of seabirds during oceanic longline fishing operations’ is listed as a key threatening process as it threatens albatross, petrels and shearwaters in Australian waters where the fishing practice is undertaken.

The assessment of a threatening process as a key threatening process is the first step to addressing the impact of a particular threat under Commonwealth law.

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) is the Australian Government’s central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places — defined in the EPBC Act as matters of national environmental significance.

When does a project need to be assessed?
The EPBC Act comes into play when a proposal has the potential to have a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance.

When a person (a 'proponent') wants an action (often called a 'proposal' or 'project') assessed for environmental impacts under the EPBC Act, he or she must refer the project to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

This 'referral' is then released to the public, as well as relevant state, territory and Commonwealth ministers, for comment on whether the project is likely to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.

The minister or the minister’s delegate will then decide whether the likely environmental impacts of the project are such that it should be assessed under the EPBC Act. Any relevant public comments are taken into consideration in making that decision.

Objectives of the EPBC Act
The objectives of the EPBC Act are to:
>> provide for the protection of the environment, especially matters of national environmental significance
>> conserve Australian biodiversity
>> provide a streamlined national environmental assessment and approvals process
>> enhance the protection and management of important natural and cultural places
>> control the international movement of plants and animals (wildlife), wildlife specimens and products made or derived from wildlife
>> promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources
>> recognise the role of Indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity
>> promote the use of Indigenous peoples' knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in cooperation with, the owners of the knowledge.

Matters of national environmental significance
The nine matters of national environmental significance (MNES) are:
>> world heritage properties
>> national heritage places
> wetlands of international importance (often called 'Ramsar' wetlands after the international treaty under which such wetlands are listed)
> nationally threatened species and ecological communities
>> migratory species
>> Commonwealth marine areas
>> the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
>> nuclear actions (including uranium mining)
>> a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development.

Should the nomination be successful and Aussie angling be listed as a key threatening process under the EPBC Act then stringent measures, management and guidelines are implemented.

Read more about the Key threatening processes under the EPBC Act here.