Page 3436 - Week 10 - Tuesday, 17 September 2019
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lure fishing only and consider implementation of catch-and-release only conditions in specified waters. We would like a stronger recreational fishing focus.
We could select impoundments for intensive stocking of suitable native species and trout to promote local recreational fishing. There are few incentives for junior anglers to participate in recreational fishing activities in the ACT. We could feature one or more junior fishing days on selected stocked impoundments per year.
I was somewhat surprised to see that the bill has sections dealing with regulating aquaculture and commercial fishing. I am not sure why we are dealing with this in the Assembly’s time. It is a bit like when the Labor-Greens government regulated piggeries in the ACT. I am not sure of the point of regulating an industry that does not exist in the ACT. Maybe next we will have a mango farming bill or an ox and cart bill. Members of the public can and do rightly ask why we are focusing on these irrelevant issues when the city is crying out for good management.
The Canberra Liberals support setting a framework for cultural fishing activity by Aboriginal people, but this vision is vague on what it means in practical terms in the bill. We would like to see more detail of how this will be achieved.
The current bill bans the use of opera house style yabby traps in private and public waterways in the ACT. This is a good measure. It is an important step to protect water rats and platypus in our waterways and has the full support of the Canberra Liberals.
To conclude, we take a position of cautious support for this bill acknowledging that some of the provisions appear unnecessary, acknowledging the government’s lack of will to enforce existing legislation, and acknowledging the government’s lack of interest in promoting recreational fishing. We will maintain a keen interest in the effectiveness of the government in this space. Notwithstanding the points I have made, the Canberra Liberals will support the passing of this bill today.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (11.13): Mr Assistant Speaker Pettersson, welcome to the chair. This is a good piece of legislation, and the ACT Greens are pleased to support it. In particular, I draw attention to the amendments which will result in the banning of opera house traps for use in private waters in the ACT and requiring point-of-sale signage regarding the traps. These opera house traps are already banned in public waters and this bill takes some further steps to try to prohibit their use. These traps are an issue that the Greens have been concerned about for a number of years. We have in fact raised the issue on many occasions.
Opera house trap is the colloquial name for enclosed yabby traps. Unfortunately, these traps do not trap just yabbies; they are notorious for trapping and killing platypuses and other native animals, such as turtles and water rats. Platypuses are particularly at risk of being caught in the traps because yabbies are part of their diet. If a platypus is caught in the trap it drowns and dies in less than three minutes. These traps need to go. It is not reasonable to endanger our native wildlife just so that people can trap yabbies.
As I said the traps are already illegal in public waters in the ACT. The amendment in the bill will also prohibit them from use in private waters. This is a good step. There
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