Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 - SECT 229A

             (1)  A person is guilty of an offence if:

                     (a)  the person takes an action; and

                     (b)  the action results in the death or injury of a cetacean; and

                     (c)  the cetacean is in:

                              (i)  the Australian Whale Sanctuary (but not the coastal waters, or a part of the coastal waters, of a State or the Northern Territory for which a declaration under section 228 is in force); or

                             (ii)  waters beyond the outer limits of the Australian Whale Sanctuary.

Note 1:       Chapter 2 of the Criminal Code sets out the general principles of criminal responsibility.

Note 2:       This section does not apply in the circumstances described in section 231. A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to those circumstances. See subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code .

             (2)  Strict liability applies to paragraphs (1)(a), (b) and (c).

Note:          For strict liability , see section 6.1 of the Criminal Code .

             (3)  The offence is punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding 500 penalty units.