Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

In terms of the way the declaration process under the bill works, I am advised that there is a two-stage declaration process under the bill involving both an interim declaration and a final declaration. The interim declaration process facilitates the prohibition of a declared commercial fishing activity while consultation with affected operators occurs over a period of up to two months. The final declaration process imposes a longer term ban for a maximum of two years while an expert assessment can be undertaken of the potential impacts of the fishing activity.

Both declarations require the environment minister and the fisheries minister to agree that there is uncertainty about the environmental impacts of the fishing activity. The environment minister must, in making a final declaration, take into account the comments provided by affected fishing concession holders and can only make a final declaration in relation to the same activity that was the subject of an interim declaration.