ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30, 1981
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - TABLE
OF PROVISIONS
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES
CONSERVATION ACT 1981
No. 30 of 1981
TABLE OF PROVISIONS
Section
1. Short title
2. Commencement
3. Interpretation
4. Act to bind Crown
5. Application of Act
6. Application of laws of the Territory
7. Certain persons not guilty of offences against this Act
8. Harvesting, and research with respect to, marine organisms prohibited
9. Permits
10. Contravening conditions of permits
11. Suspension of permits
12. Cancellation of permits
13. Inspectors and special inspectors
14. Identity cards
15. Arrest without warrant
16. General powers of inspectors
17. Seizure and forfeiture
18. Prosecution of offences against sub-section 8 (1)
19. Evidentiary certificates
20. Officers and employees of governments and authorities
21. Programs, &c., relating to Antarctic marine living resources
22. Delegation
23. Review of decisions
24. Regulations
SCHEDULE
CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING
RESOURCES
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 -
PREAMBLE
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES
CONSERVATION ACT 1981
No. 30 of 1981
An Act relating to the conservation of marine living resources of the
Antarctic and its surrounding seas
WHEREAS a Convention entitled "Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic
Marine Living Resources" (being the Convention a copy of the English text of
which is set out in the Schedule) was opened for signature at Canberra on 1
August 1980:
AND WHEREAS Australia is a signatory State to, and the Depositary under, the
Convention:
AND WHEREAS it is desirable to make provision for giving effect to the
Convention and to conservation measures by which Australia accepts in
accordance with Article IX of the Convention to be bound, and to make other
provision relating to the conservation of marine living resources of the
Antarctic and the seas surrounding the Antarctic:
BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Queen, and the Senate and the House of
Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
1.
Short title.
Conservation Act 1981.*1*
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
2.
Commencement
2. (1) Sections 1, 2 and 3 shall come into operation on the day on which
this Act receives the Royal Assent*1*
(2) The remaining provisions of this Act shall come into operation on a date
to be fixed by Proclamation.
(3) The date fixed under sub-section (2) shall not be a date earlier than
the date on which the Convention enters into force for Australia.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
3.
Interpretation
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3. (1) In this Act, unless the contrary intention appears -
"another Contracting Party" means a Contracting Party to the Convention
other than Australia;
"Australia", when used in a geographical sense, includes the external
Territories;
"Australian fishing zone" has the same meaning as in the Fisheries Act
1952;
"Australian national" means -
(a) an Australian citizen; or
(b) a body corporate established by or under a law of the Commonwealth, of
a State or of a Territory;
"Australian vessel" means -
(a) a vessel that is registered in Australia;
(b) a vessel that is under the control or in the possession of any one or
more of the following:
(i) the Commonwealth (including an arm of the Defence Force) or a State
or Territory;
(ii) a corporation established for a public purpose by or under a law of
the Commonwealth or of a State or Territory;
(iii) a company or other body corporate incorporated under a law in
force in a State or Territory, being a company or other body corporate in
which the Commonwealth has a controlling interest; or
(c) a vessel (other than a vessel referred to in paragraph (a) or (b))
that has Australian nationality;
"authority of another Contracting Party" means a permit, licence or other
authority issued or given by another Contracting Party under a law of that
other Contracting Party or (whether under a law or otherwise) for purposes of,
and in accordance with, the Convention, or an arrangement made by another
Contracting Party for purposes of, and in accordance with, the Convention;
"conservation measures" means measures for the conservation of Antarctic
marine living resources that are adopted from time to time by the Commission
for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources under Article IX of
the Convention and by which Australia accepts in accordance with that Article
to be bound;
"contravention", in relation to this Act, a provision of this Act, or a
condition of a permit, includes a failure to comply with this Act, that
provision or that condition;
"Convention" means the Convention entitled "Convention on the Conservation
of Antarctic Marine Living Resources" that was opened for signature at
Canberra on 1 August 1980, a copy of the English text of which is set out in
the Schedule;
"Convention area" means the area south of the Antarctic Convergence;
"foreign person" means a person other than an Australian national;
"foreign vessel" means a vessel other than an Australian vessel;
"harvest", in relation to marine organisms, includes -
(a) take, collect, catch, capture, kill, injure, interfere with, cut up,
dismember, clean, sort, coat, pack, process, preserve, store, carry or
transport, for any purpose; or
(b) search for with the object of finding and taking for any purpose;
"inspector" means -
(a) a person appointed as an inspector under paragraph 13 (1) (a); or
(b) a person referred to in sub-section 13 (2);
"interfere with", in relation to marine organisms, includes harass, chase,
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herd, tag, mark or brand;
"law of the Territory" means a law in force in the Territory other than an
Act or instrument (not being an Ordinance or an instrument made under an
Ordinance) made under an Act;
"marine organism" means a marine organism in the Convention area that
belongs to any species of living organisms that is found in the Convention
area;
"master", in relation to a vessel, means the person having command or charge
of the vessel;
"permit" means a permit in force under this Act;
"special inspector" means a person appointed as a special inspector under
paragraph 13 (1) (b);
"the Territory" means the Australian Antarctic Territory;
"this Act" includes the regulations;
"vessel" includes an air-cushion vehicle or other similar craft.
(2) Where a provision of this Act requires a notice to be served on a person
by the Minister, the notice may be served on that person personally, by post
or in any other prescribed manner.
(3) A reference in this Act to an offence against this or any other Act, to
an offence against regulations made under any Act or to an offence against a
provision of this Act shall be read as including a reference to an offence
created by section 6, 7 or 7A of the Crimes Act 1914 in relation to this Act
or that other Act or those regulations, as the case may be.
(4) A reference to an inspector in a provision of this Act that confers a
function or power or imposes a duty upon inspectors shall be read as including
a reference to any special inspector in respect of whom that function, power
or duty is specified in pursuance of sub-section 13 (4).
(5) A reference in this Act to a member of the Australian Federal Police or
to a member of a police force shall be read as including a reference to a
special member of the Australian Federal Police.
(6) Except in so far as the contrary intention appears, an expression that
is used in this Act and in the Convention (whether or not a particular meaning
is assigned to it by the Convention) has, in this Act, the same meaning as in
the Convention.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
4.
Act to bind Crown
4. (1) This Act binds the Crown in right of the Commonwealth, of each of the
States, of the Northern Territory and of Norfolk Island.
(2) Nothing in this Act renders the Commonwealth or a State or Territory
liable to be prosecuted for an offence.
(3) Sub-section (2) does not affect any liability of the master of a vessel
of which the Commonwealth or a State or Territory is the owner to be
prosecuted for an offence.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
5.
Application of Act
5. (1) Subject to this section, this Act applies both within and outside
Australia and extends to every external Territory.
(2) Subject to sub-section 4 (1) of the Antarctic Treaty Act 1960 and to
sub-section (3) of this section -
(a) to the extent that a provision of this Act has effect in and in relation
to any waters or place beyond the outer limits of the Australian fishing zone,
that provision applies only in relation to Australian nationals and Australian
vessels and the members of the crew (including masters) of Australian vessels;
and
(b) to the extent that a provision of this Act has effect in and in relation
to Australia or the Australian fishing zone, that provision applies in
relation to all persons, including foreign persons, and to all vessels,
including foreign vessels.
(3) This Act has effect subject to -
(a) the obligations of Australia under international law, including
obligations under any international agreement binding on Australia; and
(b) any law of the Commonwealth giving effect to such an agreement.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
6.
Application of laws of the Territory
6. A law of the Territory does not have effect to the extent (if any) to
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which it is inconsistent with a provision of the regulations, but such a law
shall not be taken for the purposes of this sub-section to be inconsistent
with such a provision to the extent that it is capable of operating
concurrently with that provision.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
7.
Certain persons not guilty of offences against this Act
7. A person is not guilty of an offence against this Act by reason of any
act or thing done by him to the extent that the doing of that act or thing is
authorized by -
(a) a permit, licence or other authority in force, at the time when that act
or thing is done, under a law of the Commonwealth other than this Act; or
(b) an authority of another Contracting Party in force at the time when that
act or thing is done.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
8.
Harvesting, and research with respect to, marine organisms prohibited
8. (1) Subject to section 7 and sub-section (2) of this section, where,
otherwise than in accordance with a permit, a person in the Convention area
harvests, or carries out research with respect to, any marine organisms, the
person is guilty of an offence against this sub-section punishable, upon
conviction -
(a) if the offender is a natural person - by a fine not exceeding $50,000;
or
(b) if the offender is a body corporate - by a fine not exceeding $100,000.
(2) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against sub-section (1)
if it is proved that -
(a) the act in question was reasonably necessary to avoid injury to any
person or damage to any vessel; or
(b) where paragraph (a) does not apply and the act in question was done by
the holder of a permit - that act was unavoidable in the course of taking
action in accordance with the permit or was reasonably necessary to avoid
damage to equipment used in taking action in accordance with the permit.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
9.
Permits
9. (1) Subject to this section, upon application made to the Minister in
accordance with the prescribed form or, if no form is prescribed, a form
approved by him, the Minister may, in his discretion, grant to a person a
permit in writing authorizing the person, in, or in a specified part of, the
Convention area, to do either or both of the following:
(a) harvest marine organisms of a specified kind or kinds;
(b) carry out research with respect to marine organisms of a specified kind
or kinds.
(2) A permit shall not be granted under sub-section (1) authorizing a person
to do an act, or an act included in a class of acts, that is prescribed for
the purposes of this sub-section.
(3) The Minister shall, in and in relation to the exercise of his powers
under this section, have due regard to the objective and principles of the
Convention.
(4) A permit granted under this section -
(a) is subject to such conditions (if any) as are specified in the permit or
as are imposed in pursuance of sub-section (5) in respect of the permit;
(b) comes into force on a date specified in the permit or, if no date is so
specified, on the date on which it is granted; and
(c) remains in force for such period as is specified in the permit.
(5) At any time while a permit is in force the Minister may, upon his own
motion or upon application made in accordance with sub-section (6), by notice
in writing served on the holder of the permit, vary or revoke a condition to
which the permit is subject or impose a further condition in respect of the
permit.
(6) The holder of a permit may make application in writing to the Minister
for the variation or revocation of a condition to which the permit is subject
or for the imposition of a further condition in respect of the permit.
(7) The Minister shall cause to be kept, in such manner and at such place or
places as he directs, a register of permits in force from time to time,
showing the purpose for which the permit was granted and the conditions (if
any) to which each permit is from time to time subject and such other matters
relating to each permit as the Minister thinks fit.
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(8) Such fees as are prescribed are payable in respect of grants of
permits.
(9) In this section, "grant" includes grant by way of renewal.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
10.
Contravening conditions of permits
10. Where a person contravenes a condition of a permit that is applicable to
him, the person is guilty of an offence punishable, upon conviction -
(a) if the offender is a natural person - by a fine not exceeding $5,000;
or
(b) if the offender is a body corporate - by a fine not exceeding $10,000.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
11.
Suspension of permits
11. (1) The Minister may, in his discretion, by notice given by any means
the Minister thinks appropriate to the holder of a permit -
(a) subject to sub-section (2), suspend the permit for a period not
exceeding 90 days if he suspects on reasonable grounds that circumstances
exist by reason of which he would be empowered to cancel the permit; or
(b) revoke the suspension of the permit at any time.
(2) Where proceedings for an offence in relation to a permit are commenced
during the period of suspension of the permit, the suspension may be continued
until the proceedings (including any appeal) are completed.
(3) During the period of suspension of a permit, the permit has no force or
effect, but the period of currency of the permit continues to run.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
12.
Cancellation of permits
12. The Minister may, in his discretion, by notice in writing served on the
holder of a permit, cancel the permit if -
(a) he is satisfied that there has been a contravention of a condition to
which the permit is subject;
(b) he is satisfied that the holder of the permit has contravened a
provision of this Act;
(c) he is satisfied that the act or acts authorized by the permit may
adversely affect a population of any species of marine organisms; or
(d) the holder of the permit has been convicted of an offence against the
Fisheries Act 1952, the Continental Shelf (Living Natural Resources) Act 1968,
the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980, the Whale Protection
Act 1980 or regulations made under any of those Acts.
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES CONSERVATION ACT 1981 No. 30 of 1981 - SECT.
13.
Inspectors and special inspectors
13. (1) The Minister may, by instrument signed by him -
(a) appoint a person as an inspector; or
(b) appoint a person, upon the nomination of the Commission for the
Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, as a special inspector.
for the purposes of this Act.
(2) By force of this sub-section, every member of the Australian Federal
Police or of the police force of a Territory is an inspector.
(3) The Minister may, in his discretion -
(a) determine terms and conditions of appointment, including remuneration
and allowances, of a person appointed under sub-section (1); and