Locals are asked to make the move from opera house yabby traps to environmentally-friendly pyramid traps.
Recreational fishers across the region will be able to swap their traps during the Eyre Peninsula Yabby Trap Round-Up in Port Lincoln from Tuesday, 18 June until Thursday, 20 June at the Eyre Peninsula Landscape Board office.
Managing Director at OceanEarth Foundation Anissa Lawrence says the pyramid traps are better for the environment and the future of fishing.
“The way these pyramid traps work is you need to actually sit with them… so when you’ve got kids it’s so much more fun for the kids because every ten minutes or half an hour, the kids can go and check it and see what’s in there, Lawrence says.
“In terms of the future of fishing and the next generation of rec fishers out there, they can get really enthused.”
The opera house traps won’t go to waste when they’re handed over.
“The opera house traps collected at the Eyre Peninsula Yabby Trap Round-Up will be recycled into useful fishing products, with the proceeds being used to support habitat restoration.”
Director of Habitat Programs at OzFish Cassie Price says this is the best time to update your gear as yabby fishing lulls around this time of year.
“We know there are loads of rec fishers who have old opera house traps stored in their garage or shed, Price says.
“Rather than simply throw them out, we’re encouraging anyone with old traps to come and drop them in for recycling and get a free pyramid trap.”
The Yabby Trap Round-Up program is an initiative of OceanEarth Foundation in collaboration with OzFish Unlimited and RecFish SA.