By Callum Ludwig
The discovery of a banned opera house net in Woori Yallock Creek is a timely reminder to ensure we protect the creatures that live in our waterways.
The opera house net, primarily used to catch yabbies, has been implicated in the drowning of air-breathing wildlife, such as native water rats (rakali), platypus and turtles when left in our rivers, creeks and streams.
A Co-President of the Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeaters Group, who regularly patrol near the Woori Yallock Creek through Yellingbo, said they encourage those who wish to go yabbying to replace their Opera traps with open-top lift nets.
“We were very glad that the Opera trap that was found on a local creek was closed and did not contain any wildlife,” they said.
“The Friends of the Helmeted Honeyeater encourage care for the whole of the landscape as this will ensure a more positive future not only for the Helmeted Honeyeater but also other important species such as native marsupial rats, turtles, platypus and native birds.”
Opera house nets have been banned in all Victorian public and private waters since July 2019, despite being legal in Queensland, the Northern Territory and South Australia (being phased out in South Australia from July this year).
“In 2019, the Victorian Government phased out the use of opera house nets in Victorian waters because they impact platypus, turtles and native water rats – this is something none of us want to see happen to our wildlife,” said a VFA spokesperson.
“As part of the process we gave away thousands of open-top lift nets, which can be used in most Victorian lakes and rivers. With other states having joined the cause in recent years, we encourage fishers to throw any opera house nets in the bin once and for all.”
Through the Yabby Net Swap Program, fishers were able to swap up to three of their old opera house nets for free ‘wildlife friendly’ open top lift nets and between December 2018 and February 2019, 20,000 wildlife-friendly open top lift nets were distributed via 67 tackle stores throughout Victoria to recreational fishers.
Fishing tackle stores can still sell opera house nets and fishers can still possess them in Victoria, but more wildlife-friendly nets are increasingly available to purchase from tackle stores and the VFA strongly encourages all fishers to use wildlife-friendly nets.
More details on what fishing gear is permitted in Victoria can be found in copies of the free Recreational Fishing Guide or via www.vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/recreational-fishing-guide/fishing-equipment.
