Opera House yabby trap ban discussion paper out

When South Australia banned the traps in July last year, Queensland was the only state to still allow the use of the traps, in limited areas where platypus or at-risk animals are not located.

A Fisheries Queensland discussion paper says " to achieve more national consistency and improved environmental outcomes from recreational yabby and redclaw fishing, Fisheries Queensland is committed to considering how a phase-out of opera house style traps could be best implemented in all Queensland waters".

Animal rights and conservation groups have been calling for bans on the yabby pots for a decade, with the Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland saying "the preventable drowning deaths of these animals is a serious animal welfare issue and a significant conservation issue".

In 2019, One Nation MP Stephen Andrew collected 8000 signatures on a petition and said he did not understand why a state well known for platypus sightings was not in line with its neighbours.

In Queensland, opera house pots with a rigid entrance of no more than 5 centimetres are permitted in all fresh waterways.

In certain dams, and all non-tidal waters west of the Great Dividing Range and Gore Highway, the rigid entrance can be up to 10cm.

The discussion paper says that while there are no platypus present in large areas of the state west of the Great Dividing Range, there are other native fauna such as water birds, turtles and native water rats.

"These species are managed under federal and state environmental legislation and would benefit from the adoption of more environmentally friendly recreational fishing methods," it states.

A new open-topped pyramid trap was permitted for use in non-tidal waters, which the paper says has been shown to be effective in catching yabbies and redclaw when checked regularly by recreational fishers.

"Voluntary withdrawal of opera house-style traps from major retailers has not resulted in a reduction of their use," it reads.

"Redclaw and yabby fishers prefer to use this trap and it can easily be bought online and from small and medium retailers.

"Past consultation with the fishing tackle industry and its peak body, the Australian Fishing Trade Association has shown there is in-principle support for Queensland to follow the approach of other jurisdictions and adopt a more nationally consistent set of fishing regulations."

Feedback on the discussion paper will be used to guide future management strategies, which Fisheries Queensland says will ensure the sustainable management of the state's fisheries.

The paper, which includes survey questions, can be found via the Fisheries Queensland website.

An online survey can be completed, an email can be sent to fisheriesmanagers@daf.qld.gov.au, or the survey questions at the end of the discussion paper can be printed out and posted to:Recreational fishing discussion paper, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, GPO Box 46, Brisbane Q 4001.

Submissions close at 5 pm on May 9.