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

I rise to take note of the minister's response to the Senate motion on Western Australia's government sharks policy. I move:

That the Senate take note of the document.

I am disappointed that the minister has responded in the manner that he has in that we believe the federal government has a very clear responsibility for white sharks in Australia and in Western Australia. Given that it is a vulnerable species and therefore listed as a protected species under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. In his response the minister says that the EPBC Act provides an appropriate level of discretion through an exemption in circumstances where there is an issue of national interest, ensuring exemptions are granted only in the most exceptional of circumstances. He also says it is up to Western Australia to refer the action as a matter under assessment in the EPBC Act.

Unfortunately, the serious threat guidelines that are now operating in Western Australia could in fact end up taking more white sharks than actually could have been taken under the cull, which I remind the chamber had 72 drum lines dotted up and down our coast that took a large number of tiger sharks, some rays and other by-catch and had a serious impact on our marine biodiversity in Western Australia. Under the expanded proposal that they sought assessment for, there were up to 25 white sharks to be taken.

Our EPA in Western Australia said there was not enough information, because this species was vulnerable, with which to tell whether there would be an impact and therefore not to allow it go to ahead. The Western Australian government, at the very last minute, withdrew the proposal as the government was about to hand down its environmental assessment; so that proposal was, in fact, never assessed or finalised under the EPBC Act. The federal government is now standing by while the Western Australian government implements its so-called 'serious threat guidelines' with a policy that could end up taking more white sharks than that cull the EPA in Western Australia said should not go ahead. They stand by and grant exemptions in what can only be described as an approach that borders on vengeance.

When the drum lines were last deployed they took two sharks that may have been responsible for an attack. That was after the fact. They did not close the beach. The minister also talks about other measures to be taken first and says that deploying drum lines would be a last measure. They did not close the beach; as we understand it they closed the beach when they were deploying the drum lines, not to keep people out for any length of time, which would have been more appropriate. The government also sought to deploy drum lines just before Christmas in Warnbro Sound, where there was a spawning aggregation of salmon, so it is no surprise that great whites and other sharks were in there following the salmon. Everybody knows that is the case. It is very simple to keep people out of the water in Warnbro Sound—but instead, the Western Australian government wanted to deploy drum lines. And, to add insult to injury, they knew the sharks were there because they were the ones that had the transmitters in them; they were tagged sharks. They were tagged so that our scientists could gain a better understanding of sharks in Western Australia and their migratory patterns—not just in Western Australia, but around the country.

Scientists will not continue to want to put tags on white sharks—because this is supported by the federal government; they have the responsibility—if the Western Australian government, supported by the federal government, explicitly—not tacitly, but explicitly—goes on a hunting mission to destroy the very animals that they are trying to get a better understanding of.

The federal government think they can wash their hands of their responsibilities to look after white sharks. We are not about to let that happen. I have a bill before the chamber that would prevent the federal government from just palming off its responsibilities by writing exemptions for the Western Australian government to choose to take white sharks. The federal government have a responsibility to protect our marine biodiversity, to protect white sharks and to work with the Western Australian government to find non-lethal methods.

In his response, the minister also said they do not consider the fishing gear. In fact, if they do need to catch a white shark on a drum line, they could use a circle hook like they do in Brazil. It does not kill the shark; it catches the shark and the shark is then released. The federal government have a responsibility and we are going to make sure they accept it and take that responsibility.

Question agreed to.