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

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that

(i) the Minister for the Environment has granted an exemption to Western Australia, under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act), from all of the provisions of part 3 of the Act, to allow the setup of baited drum lines off the West Australian coast with the intent to catch and kill great white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks over 3 metres,

(ii) the Western Australian Government has broken its commitment to minimise the environmental impact of these drum lines by failing to reduce the chance of small shark by-catch,

(iii) there is a lack of public reporting by the Western Australian Government on the number of sharks and other marine life, caught, killed or released, and

(iv) Communities and Surf Life Saving WA reports indicate that at least 36 sharks have been caught since the drum lines were set, 32 of which were smaller than 3 metres, contravening clause 17 of the exemption;

(b) condemns the Catch and Kill Shark Policy of the Western Australian Government; and

(c) calls on the Minister for the Environment to revoke the exemption of the drum lines given to the Western Australian Government under section 158 of the Act.

Question agreed to.