Yabby nets including ‘opera house’ style traps are to be banned in the ACT under new rules announced by the Minister for the Environment, Mick Gentleman this week.
Mr Gentleman said the ban is designed to protect platypus and other native wildlife such as Murray River crayfish.
He said platypus can easily become trapped in the nets when looking for food and had 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,” Mr Gentleman said.
“I’m calling on my State and Territory colleagues to follow the ACT’s lead and outlaw the use of these cruel and unnecessary traps,” he said.
“We must also work together to ban the sale of these traps right across Australia.”
Mr Gentleman said the ban was among changes to the Fisheries Act 2000 passed in the Legislative Assembly this week to better protect native fish and wildlife and ensure that the ACT remained a great place for fishing activities.
He said the new laws also improve enforcement and guide management of commercial fish production as well as the live fish trade and transport.
“The changes include new offences for damaging or disturbing aquatic habitats such as snags and rock formations,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Gentleman said the Bill also allowed for changes to the Nature Conservation Act to allow certain cultural activities, such as fishing, by the Traditional Custodians the Ngunnawal people.
