Peter Whish-Wilson (Tasmania, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I seek leave to amend general business notice of motion No. 691 standing in my name, relating to shark conservation.

Leave granted.

I move the motion as amended:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the 12th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species was held in Manila in October 2017,

  (ii) a consensus agreement among 50 nations from Asia, Africa and Europe decided to add blue sharks, dusky whalers and white-spotted wedgefish to a list of species requiring additional protection, and

  (iii) the Government subsequently submitted reservations to the listing of the three species, which applies exemptions of the agreed protections within Australian waters;

(b) notes, with concern, the public statements of the Minister for the Environment (Mr Frydenberg) on matters relating to lethal measures to mitigate the risk of human encounters with protected Great White Sharks, including urging state governments to adopt nets and drum lines which have not proven to make beaches safe for humans, but are indiscriminate killers of protected marine life such as dolphins, whales, other endangered shark species and turtles; and

(c) calls upon the Government to continue the pre-Coalition Government tradition of Australia being an international leader in shark conservation and meet international expectations and standards in the protection of the Great White Shark, blue shark, dusky whalers and white-spotted wedgefish in Australian waters.