Opera house style nets are illegal to use
in public waters in Victoria
This net found recently at Mutton Swamp
was full of drowned turtles
The weather is still warm and it is a great time of the year to get out and enjoy some of Victoria’s beautiful environment.
While you’re out and about please remember when fishing, yabbying, camping or enjoying our waterways, do it responsibly. Because litter, fishing line and opera house style yabby nets can be lethal for the 'locals' including platypuses and
other aquatic wildlife (platypusspot.org/learning-centre/conservation-threats).
Also please note - Opera house style nets are illegal to use in Victoria, and can easily trap and drown platypuses, Rakali (native water rats), and turtles. Just recently this net, full of dead turtles, was found
on the banks of Mutton Swamp south of Rupanyup. This is one of our sites where we deliver environmental water to try to provide improved water quality and habitat to our natives.
Hoop-style drop nets are a safe and legal alternative
to get a tasty feed of yabbies (see VFA Permitted Fishing Equipment).
Also keep an eye out for the elusive platypus in rivers, creeks and dams. Any sightings can be posted to platypusSPOT along with photos (if you’re fortunate enough to
get one) and observations to help ecologists get a clearer picture of where these iconic animals occur. Or you can have a look at platypusSPOT to see where the best locations
are to try and spot platypuses in your local area or holiday spot (be patient, sit quietly at dawn or dusk).
Also keep your eyes open to see some of our other beautiful wildlife. To help you identify what's out there, Wimmera
CMA have released revised editions of:
 | - The Glovebox Guide to Wimmera Wetland Birds
|
| | |
 | - The Glovebox Guide to Wimmera Frogs
|
Contact Wimmera CMA to find out how you can get a copy.
You can also record any frogs you hear in the new FrogID app by The Australian Museum frog identification project https://www.frogid.net.au/
Enjoy the Easter break responsibly!