Native wildlife deaths in yabby nets spark ban
Yabby nets will be banned in all ACT waterways after the discovery of dead platypus caught in “opera house” traps.
Canberra Star
Don't miss out on the headlines from Canberra Star. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Positive roadside drug detections double
- Canberra’s fastest growing schools
- Canberra schools student- teacher ratios
- Capital’s high end hotel boom
Enclosed yabby nets including “opera house” style traps will be banned in all ACT waterways to help protect platypus and other native wildlife such as Murray River crayfish.
It follows the discovery of four dead platypuses in an opera house trap in the Shoalhaven River south of Braidwood last month.
The iconic animal can easily become trapped in the nets when looking for food and have less than three minutes to escape before drowning.
The existing ban on enclosed yabby nets will be extended from public waters to all private waters including dams.
ACT Environment Minister Mick Gentleman is calling on his State and Territory colleagues to follow the ACT’s lead and outlaw the use of the “cruel and unnecessary traps”.
“We must also work together to ban the sale of these traps right across Australia,” he said.
Opera house traps are banned in waters east of the Newell Highway but many people are not aware they can kill the animal when they buy the nets which can be bought for just a few dollars.
The ban is among changes to the Fisheries Act 2000 passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly on Tuesday to better protect native fish and wildlife in the capital.
“The new laws will also improve enforcement and guide management of commercial fish production as well as live fish trade and transport,” Mr Gentelman said.
“The changes will improve fish farming management in the ACT by regulating the type and number of fish that may be farmed and providing guidelines on issues such as managing disease.”
The changes include new offences for damaging or disturbing aquatic habitats such as snags and rock formations.
There will be limits to the amount of fish anglers may have in their possession at any one time and stronger penalties for illegal commercial sale of fish and other aquatic species.
The bill also allows for changes to the Nature Conservation Act to allow certain cultural activities such as fishing by the Ngunnawal people.
A NSW Department of Primary Industries spokesman said the agency is investigating a phase out program to replace ‘opera house’ style traps with pyramid style nets that include a top opening.
“These new design nets will enable air-breathing mammals to escape,” he said.
“More consultation will be carried out on the phase out program, and funding has already been set aside for a replacement scheme which will allow fishers to swap some of their old style ‘opera house’ style traps with the new design open top nets.”
WHERE OPERA HOUSE TRAPS ARE BANNED
Currently, rules are in place to regulate the responsible and sustainable use of ‘opera house’ yabby traps, including prohibiting their use in waters east of the Newell Highway.
In addition, yabby traps are not permitted in/on/adjacent to;
-The Murray River from the Newell Highway at Tocumwal downstream to the Echuca Rd bridge
-The Murrumbidgee River from the Newell Highway at Narrandera downstream to the Darlington Point Rd bridge
-The Edward River from the Murray River at Picnic Point downstream to Stevens Weir
The changes in the ACT follow community consultation on a discussion paper to help modernise the Act. More information and the consultation report is available here.
IN OTHER NEWS
