RECREATIONAL fishers have been offered an opportunity to swap opera house nets for wildlife friendly open-top lift nets.
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It comes ahead of a ban on opera house nets in all public and private waters throughout Victoria from July 1, 2019.
The yabby net-swap program will stat on Friday, September 7, with fishers able to swap up to three nets per person.
In Bendigo there will be two locations people can swap nets – Hartley’s Hunting and Fishing in Stafford Street, Bendigo and BCF Kangaroo Flat in the Rocklea Centre on High Street.
Compleat Angler on the Northern Highway in Echuca is also taking part.
Opera house nets were banned by the Victorian Fisheries Authority because their use has been implicated in the drowning of air breathing wildlife, such as water rats, platypus and turtles.
The use of opera house nets is illegal in, on or near public waters in Victoria, with the state government saying there will be zero tolerance for anyone caught using the banned nets.
Visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing for more information or to see the full list of net swap locations.
