{"id":"F2010L03018","name":"Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 - Declaration of a Specially Protected Species (Ommatophoca rossii) - October 2010","slug":"antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":85057,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2010L03018-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 - Declaration of a Specially Protected Species (Ommatophoca rossii) - October 2010","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\ntitle: COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nCOMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA\n\n \n\nAntarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980\n\n \n\nDECLARATION OF A SPECIALLY PROTECTED SPECIES\n\n \n\n \n\nI, TONY BURKE, Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, pursuant to subsection 7C(1) of the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980, hereby declare the species Ommatophoca rossii (Ross Seal) to be a specially protected species of that Act from the day after the day it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nDated this  26th  day of  October  2010\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nTONY BURKE\n\nMinister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by the parent Act — adding species to the protected list. The scope remains tightly constrained to the specific administrative action authorised by section 7C."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision: one species declaration","No defined terms within the instrument itself","No cross-references to other sections beyond the empowering provision (subsection 7C(1))","No conditional logic or exceptions","Extremely short: approximately 150 words of substantive content","Standard administrative form: ministerial declaration template"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a **ministerial declaration** made under the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Declares the **Ross Seal** (scientific name: *Ommatophoca rossii*) to be a \"specially protected species\"\n- This gives the species the highest level of protection under Australian Antarctic law\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Anyone operating in the Australian Antarctic Territory (scientists, tour operators, fishing vessels)\n- Australian citizens and organisations conducting activities in Antarctica\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- Once declared, it becomes an offence to kill, injure, capture, or disturb Ross Seals without a special permit\n- The species receives automatic legal protection from the day after this instrument is registered\n- This implements Australia's obligations under the **Antarctic Treaty** — an international agreement that governs activities in Antarctica\n\n**Key detail:** The protection takes effect automatically after registration — no further parliamentary debate is needed for this type of declaration."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument expands the set of species covered as \"specially protected\" under the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 by adding Ommatophoca rossii (Ross Seal). The change in scope is implemented by a ministerial declaration under subsection 7C(1) and takes effect from the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, as stated in the instrument. The instrument itself does not describe the downstream regulatory measures or compliance burdens that flow from that reclassification; those are determined by the primary Act and any subordinate instruments."},"complexity_factors":["Instrument is procedurally simple: a single ministerial declaration naming one species.","Legal effect contingent on registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments, so timing and formal commencement are external to the text.","Reliance on provision of the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980 (subsection 7C(1)) for substantive consequences; reading the instrument fully therefore requires consulting that primary Act.","Absence of detail in the instrument about the specific protections, obligations, penalties, or administrative procedures that attach to the \"specially protected\" status increases interpretive dependence on other materials.","Clear identification of species by scientific and common name reduces ambiguity about the object of the declaration."],"plain_english_summary":"The Minister formally declares Ommatophoca rossii (Ross Seal) a \"specially protected species\" under the Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980, with the declaration taking effect the day after registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments. This changes the species’ legal status so the protections, permissions and compliance obligations in the primary Act apply, though the instrument itself does not set out those specific measures."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato","history":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato/history","analysis":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/antarctic-treaty-environment-protection-act-1980-declaration-of-a-specially-protected-species-ommato/documents"}}