Media release
12 March 2010
Environment Protection
Minister Peter Garrett said Australia would
support measures to improve the conservation
and recovery of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna and
other species at the upcoming Convention
of the Parties to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Mr Garrett said listing
of the species on Appendix II of the Convention
would enable better accountability and improved
fisheries management for the species to
ensure sustainability into the future.
"Australia strongly
believes that firm and effective fisheries
management, including through international
fora, offers the best means to secure populations
of this species of tuna across the globe.
"Listing Atlantic
Bluefin Tuna on Appendix II will help drive
better conservation outcomes and management
of tuna stocks through the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic
Tunas (ICCAT), which listing under Appendix
I would not achieve.
"Australia believes
raising the conservation status of the species
as a means to deliver better international
fisheries management, is the best way of
ensuring sustainable harvest and management
of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna into the future,
rather than simply banning international
trade alone.
"Imposing a blanket
prohibition on international trade through
an Appendix I listing would undermine international
fisheries management and cooperation to
protect this species, and at the same time
allow individual countries to continue to
catch Atlantic Bluefin Tuna for domestic
consumption.
"This means, for
example, that because the EU is recognised
as a single entity for the purposes of trade,
a listing on Appendix I would place no restriction
on the trade of tuna between EU members.
"Australia recognises
that international efforts to improve species
sustainability can lead to tough domestic
decisions however strong international cooperation
can deliver better global conservation efforts,
and this is the position Australia will
support with regards to this tuna species,"
Mr Garrett said.
Mr Garrett said in addition
to supporting efforts to conserve Atlantic
Bluefin Tuna, Australia would support other
strong measures at the CoP to implement
global wildlife trade protection for eight
shark species currently exploited on a global
scale, particularly for their fins and for
liver oil products.
"Australia will
back international protection that promotes
the survival of these sharks, which, due
to good management, can be found in relatively
healthy numbers in Australian waters.
"We will be backing
an Appendix II listing for oceanic whitetip,
spiny dogfish, porbeagle, scalloped hammerhead,
smooth hammerhead, great hammerhead, sandbar
and dusky sharks, which means ongoing take
and international trade can continue on
a scale that will not be detrimental to
the survival of these species."
Australia will also
be supporting proposals for increased protection
for thirty-one red and pink coral species
(family Coralliidae) by listing them under
Appendix II.
"In line with Australia's
strict domestic controls on trade in elephant
products and our previous opposition to
commercial trade in ivory, Australia will
continue to oppose any proposals that lessen
conservation measures for elephants at COP15,"
Mr Garrett said.
"We will also be
supporting strengthened CITES regulations
for tigers and other species threatened
by trade such as Iran's Kaiser's Newt.
"We will continue
to negotiate our position on some species
at the meeting, including protection for
polar bears, which are to be determined
once further information is provided,"
Mr Garrett said.
The 15th Conference
of the Parties to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora is meeting in Doha, Qatar between
13 and 25 March.
+ More
Registration opens for
Indigenous Australian Art Commercial Code
of Conduct
Media release
11 March 2010
Registration is now open for art dealers,
including agents, galleries and arts centres
to register their interest in becoming signatories
to the Indigenous Australian Art Commercial
Code of Conduct.
Arts Minister, Peter
Garrett, congratulated the Code Administration
Committee on their progress to date
"The Code will,
for the first time, provide a national set
of standards for transactions between agents,
artists and dealers in the Indigenous visual
arts industry.
"Opening a process
for dealers to register their interest is
an important first step in meeting the aims
of the Code," Mr Garrett said.
"The Code will
ultimately help Indigenous artists negotiate
fair deals for their work and give buyers
greater certainty of an artwork's origin
and the way in which it was purchased.
"I encourage anyone
interested in registering to go to the Code
website, www.indigenousartcode.org ."
The recently formed
Code Administration Committee is a voluntary,
independent industry body which will administer
the Code, deal with complaints against signatories
and promote the benefits of the Code to
the broader industry.
The Committee is comprised
of representatives from across the industry
including dealers, Indigenous artists, artist
resource organisations and independent professionals.
"This is an industry
Code that will be owned and driven by the
Indigenous visual arts sector and I am extremely
pleased with the calibre and strength of
the Committee who have volunteered their
services to this important task," Mr
Garrett said.
"Mr Ron Merkel
QC and Mr Richard England MAIDC have recently
been elected by the Committee as Chair and
Deputy Chair.
"Committee Chair,
Mr Merkel is a highly respected member of
the legal profession with a strong commitment
to Indigenous legal issues while Mr England
brings a long history of corporate business
administration and corporate management
to the position of Deputy Chair."
"The Government
strongly supports the Code and is providing
$600,000 over three years to assist with
implementation," Mr Garrett said.
Implementation of a
Code of Conduct was a key recommendation
of a 2007 Senate Inquiry report into the
Indigenous visual arts and craft sector,
and was part of the Rudd Government's election
platform. The Code was developed in consultation
with the sector and has received its widespread
support. For more information on the Code
go to www.indigenousartcode.org
