Wildlife trade and conservation
Most publications are available as PDF files. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view PDF files.
If you are unable to access a publication, please contact us to organise a suitable alternative format.
Links to another web site
Opens a pop-up window
Department of the Environment and Water Resources, 7 September 2007
At the recent Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP 14) in June 2007, an amendment proposal to list the Freshwater Sawfish, Pristis microdon, on CITES Appendix II with the annotation "For the exclusive purpose of allowing international trade in live animals to appropriate and acceptable aquaria for primarily conservation purposes" was agreed and is now in effect.
The Department of the Environment and Water Resources (the Department) has received applications from Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish to export 6 P. microdon, for the purpose of exhibiting these individuals in public aquaria in the US and in France. These specimens were captured under a permit issued by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, prior to CoP 14. They are currently held at the Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish facility.
Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish considers that through the public exhibition of these animals pubic awareness of the Pristidae family, and the threats to the survival of that family, will be raised and in doing so, the CITES annotation requirements that the export be for "primarily conservation purposes" will be met. Additionally Cairns Marine considers that following from the increase in public awareness of the threatening processes to the Pristidae family there will be a public desire and impetus to see governments of range states implement measures to achieve further protection and conservation of the Pristidae family.
In recognition of the fact that this species is now CITES listed, and listed as threatened under Australia's Commonwealth legislation- the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Department has requested that Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish provide information to the Department that would allow the Minister to ascertain that the proposed export would not have a detrimental effect on the species in question. Given the level of international interest that such an export may attract, it was requested that Cairns Marine Aquarium Fish supply this information in the format of an IUCN non-detriment finding (NDF).
The resultant draft NDF is now available on the Department's website for any interested parties or individuals to comment upon. The draft NDF is open for public comment for ten working days from the date of posting.
There is no legislative provision in the EPBC Act under which this NDF is required to be exhibited for public comment, but in keeping with the objects of the EPBC Act, including Section 3 (1) (d) " to promote a co-operative approach to the protection and management of the environment involving governments, the community, land holders and indigenous people" the Department invites your comments, as a interested party and/or expert in the conservation of P. microdon.
A draft Ambassador Agreement is also posted on this website for public comment. An Ambassador Agreement is required under the EPBC Act when the specimen(s) to be exported are a listed threatened species under the EPBC Act. P microdon is a listed threatened species. This draft Ambassador Agreement sets out the conditions under which P. microdon will be exported from Australia. The draft Ambassador Agreement is being made available for public comment in order to demonstrate that the conditions imposed upon the exporter and importer satisfy the CITES Annotation requirement that the export be primarily for conservation purposes.
Comment period closed on Friday 19 October 2007 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).