Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-10-31 Daily Xml

Contents

Yabby Nets

In reply to the Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) ().26 September 2023).

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries):

With regard to question 1, I am advised that information on the PIRSA website advises the public of how to either responsibly dispose of banned yabby pots or to contact RecFish SA regarding the opera house net exchange program.

RecFish SA has been provided funding from Green Adelaide (part of the Department for Environment and Water) to undertake a yabby net exchange program. As part of this program, RecFish SA held a National Gone Fishing Day and yabby net exchange event at the Happy Valley Reservoir on 8 October 2023. The event raised awareness about recent regulation changes and provide a practical incentive to remove the now-banned opera house nets from South Australian waterways. I am advised that 1800 nets were swapped on the day. The event was led by RecFish SA, and Green Adelaide has provided promotion of the event through the Green Adelaide communications channels, including social media and their website. Information was also made available via the RecFish SA social media channels and Eventbrite website.

With regard to question 2, I am advised that Green Adelaide has supported the awareness raising initiative through its rewilding project budget. This project is investigating the feasibility of bringing platypus back to the River Torrens/Karrawirra Pari, and as opera house nets pose a significant threat to platypus, awareness raising about the net ban is critically important to the success of the rewilding project.

With regard to question 3, I am advised that RecFish SA has been contracted to undertake the yabby net exchange program.