Statements
Hermit crabs
Statement
Hon Amanda Dorn (8:45 pm): Over the winter break I was alerted to an application for a federal government licence for the capture and export of up to 5,000 wild hermit crabs per month for three years from Western Australia's coastal ecosystems for the international pet trade. If successful, tens of thousands of wild hermit crabs would face drastically short lives along with needless distress and suffering. We must be vigilant about exploitation. Right now there is a proposal before the federal government to approve the live export of wild caught hermit crabs by a business known as Crazy Crabs. Let me be clear: this trade is ecologically irresponsible and ethically indefensible. I made a federal submission opposing this application and I have also written to a Minister for the Environment.
Australia's coastal ecosystems—our shellfish aquaculture, their vital habitats and marine biodiversity—are under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution and unsustainable practices, yet amid these challenges we are overlooking one of the most powerful tools at our disposal: the additional ecological knowledge of our First Nations peoples. For tens of thousands of years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have sustained deep, sophisticated relationships with shellfish and sea country. Their knowledge, passed through generations, encompasses sustainable harvesting, seasonal rhythms and sacred responsibilities that Western science alone cannot replicate. Yet, despite international recognition of the value of Indigenous knowledge in marine restoration, Australia has been slow to act. This failure not only undermines ecological outcomes but it erodes cultural integrity and justice. We only have to look across the Tasman to Aotearoa, New Zealand, where Māori knowledge systems are integrated into shellfish restoration and aquaculture. These partnerships have proven effective and respectful, restoring not just habitats but cultural connections. It is time Australia followed suit. True environmental restoration requires more than scientific instruments. It demands cultural wisdom, community leadership and respect for those who have always cared for country.
There is no independent scientific monitoring of Western Australia's hermit crab populations—none. The applicant admits it relies only on anecdotal observations without third-party verification or rigorous data. This is not science, this is guesswork, and guesswork has no place in the commercial trade of wildlife. A recent ABC news article quoted the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development as saying that no risk is identified. However, there has been no research or baseline established. It is a reckless and inaccurate statement. Hermit crabs are not mere curiosities to be sold in plastic cages in souvenir shops. They are intelligent social animals. They use shells as tools and they experience pain and remember it. Their role in coastal ecosystems is profound. They help cycle nutrients, break down organic material and support the health of coastal forests. To strip them from their environment without understanding the consequences is reckless. To then market them as short-lived novelty pets, when they can live 20 to 50 years in the wild, is misleading and harmful. This trade commodifies life and teaches children that animals are disposable.
Most healthy animals of other species such as the hermit crab who have not coevolved with humans are generally not suitable as companion animals and should live free. In particular, exotic animals such as the hermit crab that have been taken from the wild should not be kept as companion animals, although it might be legal to do so. Enough is enough. We call on the government to reject this proposed wildlife trade operation and take urgent action on the broader issue of pet trade oversight. Australia must set a global standard that values and honours Indigenous stewardship and prioritises long-term sustainability over short-term profit. Let us protect our sea country, let us learn from those who have always protected it, and let us say no to the commodification of the wild.
