AC30 Doc. 20 A1
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AC30 Doc. 20 Annex 1 (in the original language / dans la langue d’origine / en el idioma original) Responses to Notification to the Parties No 2018/041 Table of Contents Australia 2 China 14 Colombia 16 European Union 18 Indonesia 22 Mexico 52 New Zealand 56 Peru 59 Philippines 65 United States of America 67 Uruguay 116 Florida International University 121 The Pew Charitable Trusts 123 Wildlife Conservation Society 125 Notification 2018/041 Request for new information on shark and ray conservation and management activities, including legislation Australia is pleased to provide the following response to Notification 2018/041 ‘Request for new information on shark and ray conservation and management activities, including legislation’. This document is an update of the information submitted in 2017 in response to Notification 2017/031. The Australian Government is committed to the sustainable use of fisheries resources and the conservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity. In particular, we are committed to the conservation of shark species in Australian waters and on the high seas. The Australian Government manages some fisheries directly, others are managed by state and territory governments. The Australian Government also regulates the export of commercially harvested marine species. Australia cooperates internationally to protect sharks by implementing our Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) obligations, and by working with regional fisheries management organisations on the management of internationally straddling and highly migratory stocks. For more information on Australia’s fisheries management and international cooperation see the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy’s fisheries webpages at http://www.environment.gov.au/marine/fisheries. a) scientific information concerning sharks and rays, such as the results of stock assessments, management and conservation efforts, and research activities National environment legislation requires that an independent assessment of all exporting fisheries and all Australian Government managed fisheries is undertaken. These assessments ensure that, over time, fisheries are managed in an ecologically sustainable way. The Marine Biodiversity Hub of the National Environmental Science Program has a current research theme of ‘Improving the management of threatened and migratory species’. Information on this theme can be accessed at: https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/theme/improving-management- threatened-and-migratory-species. Research activities currently being undertaken under this theme by the Marine Biodiversity Hub are: Northern Australian hotspots for the recovery of threatened euryhaline species (Project A1) A national assessment of the status of White Sharks (Project A3) Defining the connectivity of Australia’s hammerhead sharks (Project A5) A close-kin mark-recapture estimate of the population size and trend of east coast Grey Nurse Shark (Project A9) Shark action plan (Project A11) A project undertaken by the Marine Biodiversity Hub on establishing the status of Australia's hammerhead sharks is due to be delivered in December 2018. The project is examining the current state of knowledge on hammerhead sharks in Australia waters to define what is currently known and identify data and knowledge gaps. The project is using tagging and genetic sampling (informing close kin-mark recapture analysis) to see how hammerhead shark populations are connected and to provide a robust contemporary estimate of population size and trend. The Marine Biodiversity Hub in February 2018 completed a national assessment of the status of white sharks. This project produced the first robust estimates of white shark populations in Australian waters 1 using a unique application of electronic tagging and tracking, collection and archival of tissue samples and a combined genetic and statistical technique (close-kin mark recapture). Published research, including that on sharks and rays, arising from this current and the preceding programme of the Marine Biodiversity Hub of the National Environmental Science Program can be found at: https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/documents-publications and https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/reports b) examples of non-detriment findings; information and methods providing guidance for the making of national or regional non-detriment findings National non-detriment findings All specimens of CITES species exported from Australia for commercial purposes must be sourced from a harvest or propagation program approved by Minister for the Environment (or delegate) under the EPBC Act. The EPBC Act sets out step-by-step the sustainability considerations for approval of harvest for export. Having this requirement embedded in national legislation provides for consistent regulation of export trade, embeds the qualities of the non-detriment findings in the legislative process, and sets out clear expectations for exporters. The CITES Scientific Authority of Australia can therefore make non-detriment findings based on the legislative process. Most non-detriment findings take the form of a sustainability assessment of the individual harvest or propagation program against legislative requirements. The EPBC Act sets out various program types based on the scale of harvest or management arrangements. Once the program is approved, the operator may then harvest and apply for export permits for their specimens within the boundaries defined by the approved program. Australia’s response to Notification 2017/019 published as an annex to AC29 Doc. 10 / PC23 Doc. 11.1 provides more detail on these arrangements. Some non-detriment findings also take the form of a public published report on the sustainability of trade in a particular taxon. This is the case for the shark species listed at CoP16, and the freshwater sawfish: Australia has previously provided to the CITES Secretariat the Non-detriment finding for the export of shark species listed on CITES and harvested from Australian waters, published in 2014 and available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/publications/non- detriment-finding-five-shark-species. Australia’s non-detriment finding for the five listed shark species is based on many sources of information including current and available information on each species’ range, population structure, status and stock assessments in Australian waters; an analysis of Australian commercial fisheries interacting with the listed species, including an assessment of existing management measures; and consideration of regional and global management measures, threats, stocks and harvests. Australia also published the Scientific information for the development of this non-detriment finding (http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/39c06695-8436-49c2-b24f- c647b4672ca2/files/cites-listed-sharks.pdf) and Advice on CITES Appendix II shark listings (http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/39c06695-8436-49c2-b24f- c647b4672ca2/files/cites-appendix-ii-shark-listing-advice.pdf). Australia has supported the exchange of information on the NDF development process by making the Australian NDF for the harvest and export of hammerhead sharks available through the CITES shark and ray portal at: https://cites.org/prog/shark 2 2 Australia has also made public the non-detriment finding for the freshwater sawfish Pristis microdon (Pristis pristis) developed in 2011 which is available at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/wildlife-trade/publications/non-detriment- finding-freshwater-sawfish-pristis-microdon . This non-detriment finding was reviewed in 2017 and remains in place. Regional work on non-detriment findings Australia held two Oceania regional workshops in late 2013 and early 2014 to support the implementation of the hammerhead shark listings. These workshops focussed on the principles of making scientifically robust NDFs, including data collection requirements. Based on the outcomes of these workshops and the scientific analysis supporting NDFs in Australia, the Australian CITES Scientific Authority and the James Cook University have developed a methodology for regional data collection and a framework for undertaking an NDF, including the production of a regional NDF finding template for scalloped, great and smooth hammerhead sharks and giant and reef manta rays. Reports and outcomes of these workshops are provided to CITES Parties through the CITES shark and ray portal at https://cites.org/prog/shark. Development of non-detriment findings for shark and ray species was discussed at the Oceania CITES Regional Workshop, to be held in Fiji from 29 May to 2 June 2017. c) challenges faced by Parties in implementing the new listings Traceability and species identification are generally challenging in the implementation of any new CITES listing of commercially significant marine species. For example, it can be challenging for border authorities to distinguish between the fins of CITES listed, and non-CITES listed species. d) progress made to address such challenges The Australian CITES Management, Scientific and Enforcement authorities are working with border authorities to ensure they have training and access to species identification guides, and with industry to continually improve robust traceability mechanisms. Australia also has legislation that allows border authorities to seize wildlife products at the border if they suspect the item may have originated from a regulated species, which