Commonwealth approvals for Queensland fisheries
All fisheries which export product, or interact with protected species in Commonwealth waters are assessed and accredited under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
This accreditation demonstrates Queensland's fisheries operate under the national Guidelines for the Ecologically Sustainable Management of Fisheries.
View Queensland's fishery assessments and export approval expiry dates.
Wildlife Trade Operation approvals
Wildlife Trade Operation (WTO) approvals:
- allow certain Queensland fisheries to export seafood to international markets
- are used in Australia to market sustainably sourced seafood
- protect commercial fishers against prosecution for unintentional interactions with protected species.
Interactions with protected species
Under the EPBC Act, commercial fishers must report all interactions with protected species.
Reporting these interactions is necessary to maintain our WTO approvals.
Reports
Surveys and reviews are sometimes required to meet federal government sustainability conditions.