News Stories - 25 May 2007
Australia’s kangaroo harvesting policies ensure sustainable numbers
Australia’s commercial harvest of kangaroos for export is sustainable, humane and hygienic. In relation to the proposed cull of kangaroos on Department of Defence land in Canberra, the Department of Defence has not yet decided whether to cull over-abundant kangaroos. Options to deal with the problem are still under consideration, and community and animal welfare groups are being consulted.
There are 55 species of kangaroos and wallabies in Australia. Under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Australian Government has approved management plans for the harvest in 2007 of six kangaroo and wallaby species in five states: Queensland; New South Wales; South Australia; Western Australia; and Tasmania.
Commercial kangaroo harvesting in Australia is one of the world’s best wild harvest operations because management goals are based firmly on principles of sustainability.
The approved management plans include the requirement for an annual sustainable quota which is set independent of industry demand. The quota is based on population numbers.
There has been no adverse impact on the kangaroo population after more than 20 years of commercial harvesting, and this includes several periods of drought.
Even in the presence of drought, the kangaroo industry remains sustainable because the overall population of each species is regularly monitored and annual harvest quotas adjusted accordingly. Animal welfare considerations are a priority of the EPBC Act.
Australia has strict controls and obligations to ensure harvesting is undertaken in a humane manner, which includes using professional, licensed shooters who must comply with a Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos. The Code of Practice is enforced by state government authorities.
Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services (AQIS) veterinary officers supervise production at all export registered game processing establishments and verify that kangaroos have been shot humanely and in accordance with the Code.
AQIS also oversees hygienic production at export-registered establishments, including the implementation of food safety practices in accordance with the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production of Game Meat for Human Consumption. Regular microbial testing is also conducted.
The European Union (EU), a major destination for our game meat, including kangaroo, conducted a review of the Australian meat export system in early March 2007.
The review found that the control systems in the wild game meat sector were considered to be operating in a reliable way and providing guarantees that the product exported to the EU meets the required standard.
Culling of Kangaroos on Department of Defence land in Canberra
Civilian expert consultants advised the Department of Defence that prolonged drought, the onset of winter and overabundant kangaroos at two sites in Canberra, mean that kangaroos are at risk of exceeding their food supply and creating ecological damage to these areas. The Department of Defence has not yet decided whether to cull overabundant kangaroos at two of its sites in Canberra.
Options to deal with the problem are still under consideration and the ACT Government, along with community and animal welfare groups, are being consulted.
Australia: wheat marketing arrangements
The Australian Government has maintained its support for a single desk for bulk wheat exports.
On 22 May 2007, the Prime Minister, John Howard, outlined the Government’s decisions on wheat marketing arrangements. These retain the “single desk” for bulk wheat exports.
The single desk for wheat is a long standing policy in Australia and one that is supported by more than 70 per cent of wheat growers. The new arrangements will ensure that Australia remains an efficient supplier of wheat on world markets.
As the Prime Minister indicated, retention of the status quo with AWB as the single desk manager, given the circumstances revealed in the Cole Inquiry, was not acceptable.
However, the Government has agreed that AWB (International) should continue to manage the wheat export crop for a further year, reflecting the reality that no other company would be in a position to do so in time for the 2007-08 harvest.
Growers will have up to 1 March 2008 to establish a new entity, completely separate from AWB Limited, to manage the single desk.
If growers are not able to establish the new entity by that time, the Government reserves the right to introduce its own marketing arrangements for wheat exports, possibly including further deregulation of wheat export arrangements.
The change to wheat marketing arrangements can and will be made in a way which is consistent with our international trade obligations, including our World Trade Organisation and Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement obligations.
News Stories – 17 May
Australia Outlines Five Pillars for Tackling Climate Change
Australia is driving more practical responses to climate change - with Australia's five pillars for international action - at the Davos Connection Future Summit.
On 15 May, Mr Downer outlined Australia's approach to driving more effective international responses to climate change
Australia’s five pillars for international action are:
- a global response
- APEC
- the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (AP6)
- forests and working with key countries.
Australia is calling for new negotiations for a truly global approach including all major emitters to be launched at this year's UN Climate Convention meeting.
The Prime Minister has made climate change a key focus of this year's APEC Summit initiative will ensure that Asia-Pacific perspectives are given full voice in shaping relevant international frameworks in the future.
The AP6 is driving cooperation on low emissions technology with key countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States)
- AP6 countries account for half of global GDP, energy use and emissions
- have already developed over 90 projects to lower greenhouse emissions
- Australia has committed $100 million to this practical work.
Australia has launched a $200 million Global Initiative on Forests and Climate to tackle climate change and protect the world's forests
- deforestation accounts for around 20 per cent of global emissions
- the initiative will support reforestation and reduced deforestation including through sustainable forest management in key countries.
Australia is also working with key countries on practical climate change response projects
- working with China, including through the Australia-China Coordination Group on Clean Technology
- with vulnerable neighbours, particularly in the Pacific, to forecast and adapt to potential impacts of climate change, with projects including the $32 million Sea Level and Climate Monitoring Project and
- through other bilateral cooperative partnerships.
Outcome of Presidential Election in East Timor
The Australian Government welcomes the largely peaceful elections in East Timor which reflected the will of the East Timorese people.
Presidential run-off election was held in East Timor on 9 May, with a voter turn-out of 81 per cent.
Former Prime Minister Dr Jose Ramos-Horta won the election with 69 per cent of the vote, defeating the Fretilin candidate Francisco Guterres ("Lu'Olo"). Ramos-Horta will be sworn in officially as President on 20 May.
A delegation of Australian officials from DFAT and the Australian Electoral Commission observed the poll and counting of ballots
The Australian Government is satisfied the election reflected the will of the East Timorese people, and congratulates the East Timorese for conducting peaceful elections under difficult circumstances.
The Australian Government is hopeful this trend will continue for the more significant 30 June parliamentary elections which will be contested by Fretilin and a number of opposition parties, including former President Xanana Gusmao's recently established National Council for the Reconstruction of East Timor (CNRT) party.
Australia's High Quality Education Sector Lures Latin American Students
Australia's education sector is benefiting from an increasing number of Latin American students enrolling in education and training programs in Australia.
Australia's education industry will build on the growing number of Latin American students studying in Australia through an Australia Festival taking place in Mexico, Peru and Argentina from 14-25 May.
Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the Festival which will profile Australia as a destination for study, business, tourism, fashion and youth culture.
The Festival will expose Australian education providers and business representatives in the market to prospective students and local institutions to foster academic exchanges. Furthermore, recruiting students from Latin America contributes to the strategic goal of many Australian academic institutions of ensuring diversity of student nationality among their international student cohort.
Australian Education International (AEI), the international arm of the Department of Education, Science and Training, estimates that the number of Latin American students enrolled in education and training programs in Australia in 2007 is likely to exceed 20, 000 up from 7, 500 in 2004 - the fastest growth rate of any region in the world.
Recruiting students from Latin America offers immediate business opportunities for Australia's education sector and forges long-term cultural and economic links and networks.
Australia continues to benefit from Latin American students following their return home. The students' affinity with and knowledge of Australia provides Australian companies with access to alumni networks across a region of more than 450 million people.
News Stories – 10 May
New Action Plan to Combat Illegal Fishing in the South-East Asian Region
Australia supports program to combat illegal fishing and promote responsible fishing practices in the region.
Fisheries Ministers from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor and Vietnam met on 4th May 2007 in Bali, Indonesia.
The meeting is part of a joint initiative by Australia and Indonesia to employ a regional approach in addressing shared problems concerning illegal fishing in the South-East Asian region. The meeting was co-chaired by Senator the Hon. Eric Abetz, the Minister for Fisheries, Forestry and Conservation, and Vice Admiral (ret) Freddy Numberi, Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
Ministers agreed that overfishing and illegal fishing activities were seriously depleting the fish stocks of the region, which were a very important source of food for people in the region and also exported to countries outside the region. They agreed that regional cooperation to promote sustainable fishing practices to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing was essential.
Ministers endorsed a Regional Plan of Action (RPOA) to support a common and collaborative approach to the promotion of responsible fishing practices and combat illegal fishing.
Key points of the RPOA are to:
- enhance and strengthen the overall level of fisheries management and compliance arrangements in the region;
- build upon current international agreements to ensure long-term sustainable
fisheries;
- collect accurate fishing information, which is essential to manage fishery resources and combat illegal fishing;
- control the size of fishing fleets at a sustainable level, to return the most benefit to communities and reduce illegal fishing activity; and
- coordinate management at the flag, port and market level to eliminate the trade
path of illegal fishing and to promote the trade of fish product caught by
responsible fishing operations.
The RPOA also emphasised the importance of existing international instruments for promoting long-term sustainable fisheries, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, the FAO Compliance Agreement, the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and a number of FAO's International Plans of Action.
Ministers agreed to establish a Coordination Committee to monitor and review the effective implementation of the measures of the RPOA.
Australia will provide some financial support to hold meetings over the next two years. The next meeting, tentatively planned for Malaysia in July 2007, will be used to develop a detailed two year work plan.
Cooperation with Indonesia Makes Life Harder For People Smugglers
Australia and Indonesia cooperate to strengthen borders against the increasingly sophisticated criminal networks engaged in people smuggling.
Australia's Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Kevin Andrews, travelled to Indonesia last week for a meting with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Hassan Wirajuda, and Law and Human Rights Minister, Dr Hamid Awaludin, to discuss joint initiatives to detect and prevent threats to our borders.
New measures were announced as part of these discussions.
One of the major initiatives resulting from the meeting is a proposal to establish a joint Australian-Indonesian task force of immigration and police agencies aimed at increasing detection, investigation and prosecution of people smugglers.
- Senior government officials will meet in Jakarta later this month to progress this proposal and to establish operational arrangements for the task force.
As part of the ongoing development of a regional solution, Australia and Indonesia are introducing a new highly sophisticated movement alert detection system at major ports in Indonesia, aimed at detecting and deterring both people smugglers and terrorists.
- The project is designed to enable appropriate systems to be installed at smaller
entry points after the initial rollout.
The Australian Government will provide funding of AUD 450 000 to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to enable them to employ additional staff and conduct more refugee status determinations in Indonesia.
The Australian Government will provide over AUD 7 million dollars in funding to the International Organisation for Migration to improve the level of care and support for illegal arrivals in detention in Indonesia.
These arrangements provide a safe and humane alternative to unsafe and illegal maritime ventures promoted by people smugglers.