The Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) has advised that on 29 January 2010, Porbeagle, Longfin Mako and Shortfin Mako sharks will be listed as migratory species under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Protection Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
This is a mandatory legal requirement following their listing under the Convention on Migratory Species - an international conservation agreement to which Australia is a party.
Commercial fishing operations will not be permitted to take these species unless they are acting in accordance with management arrangements accredited under the EPBC Act. All AFMA-managed fisheries are accredited. DEWHA is currently reviewing the accreditation of AFMA-managed fisheries to ensure that they provide adequate protection for these shark species.
More details on the listing is available on the DEWHA website.
