Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, upon notice,25 June 2012:

(1) Given that the shark product data collected by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) is of a 'greater resolution' than that held by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), why is ABS data publically available yet AQIS will not publically release shark product export data for the period 2008 to 2011.

(2) Can a list be provided detailing the total quantity of shark fin exported under the trade codes FU0316 (shark fin) and FU0180 (dried shark fin), listed separately, for the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, including:

(a) the total quantity, by weight, for each export code;

(b) each Australian port from which the shark fin was exported; and

(c) the destination of the export.

(3) Can a list be provided detailing the total quantity of shark product exported under the trade codes FC0560, FF0520, FF0957, FF1226, FF1350, FF1702, FU0291, FU0299, FU0313, FU0388, FU0389, FU0414, FF0316 and FU0180, listed separately, for the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, including:

(a) the total quantity, by weight, for each export code;

(b) each Australian port from which the shark fin was exported; and

(c) the destination of the export.

(4) For the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, does the total quantity, by weight, of shark products exported under each of the above trade codes correspond with reported catches from Commonwealth, state and territory fisheries and reported to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

(5) Following the TRAFFIC review of South African shark imports and a subsequent letter from TRAFFIC to the former Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mr Peter McGauran, in 2007, what measures has the Government taken to improve the quality of shark import and export data.

(6) What action has the Government taken to ensure imports of seafood into Australia are 'responsible', through being consistent with all elements of the FAO Technical Guidelines for the Responsible Fish Trade.

(7) Will the Government consider adopting a risk assessment method consistent with that being developed by TRAFFIC for the United Kingdom Joint Nature Conservation Committee as a way of identifying species that are not consistent with responsible fish trade.

(8) Will the Government consider adopting a similar regulation to that adopted by the European Union to limit the access of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) derived fisheries products into the Australian marketplace, by requiring the validation of all exports to Australia by Flag States that the products have been caught legally.

(9) Given that under the Fisheries Management Act 1991 and, in particular, clause 9ZO (Prohibited ways of processing fish) of the Regulations made under section 14 of the Act, the caudal lobe and the dorsal, pectoral or caudal fins of sharks of the class Chondrichthyes may be removed from the carcass before the fish is landed and received by a fish receiver permit holder, a ban that enables species identification on landing and in turn monitoring that catches are within prescribed limits, protected species monitoring and compliance with legal size limits, for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012:

(a) to what extent has the Australian Fisheries Management Authority investigated compliance with this measure;

(b) how many shark landings (in-port), at sea and fish receiver inspections have been observed;

(c) how many compliance breaches were recorded and have any offenders been successfully prosecuted;

(d) if no compliance monitoring has taken place, why not; and

(e) if illegal shark finning activity has been recorded, what quantity of shark and shark fin, by weight, was apprehended.

(10) For the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012:

(a) how many foreign fishing vessels have been observed and apprehended fishing in the Australian Fishing Zone;

(b) how many of these vessels were in possession of shark or shark fin;

(c) what was the total quantity, by weight, of shark and shark fin taken illegally by foreign fishing vessels; and

(d) what was the composition (species) of the illegal take of sharks.

(11) Given that the 2007 Australian Institute of Criminology report, A national study of crime in the Australian fishing industry, identified evidence of illegal activity in obtaining shark fins and noted the high value of fins as a driver of illegal activity, stating: 'in the Northern Territory, stakeholders considered that large scale and well-organised shark finning had developed in northern Australia, with family groups and companies involved':

(a) what measures has the Government taken to address the issue since the publication of the report;

(b) what evidence is there that the measures have been successful; and

(c) if no action has been taken, why not.