The threat caused by illegal opera house yabby nets in South Australian waterways will be highlighted with a third opera house net round up event this month.
Green Adelaide is once again partnering with RecFish SA to highlight the threat that illegal opera house yabby nets pose in South Australian waterways, including the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari, with a ‘round up’ event on Saturday, 24 May 2025.
Green Adelaide Presiding Member Professor Chris Daniels said that the event is a win-win because it helps remind everyone that opera house nets are now illegal in SA due to the threat they pose to wildlife whilst giving some fishers an opportunity to swap their nets for alternative wildlife-friendly nets for free!
“The River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari has come a long way in recent years, with improving water quality and habitat thanks to dedicated efforts from community and government,” Professor Daniels said.
“We want to continue this trajectory, and we know that air-breathing aquatic animals such as rakali (native water rats) and turtles can become trapped and drown inside these enclosed opera house nets.
“So, removing these harmful nets gives our wildlife a better chance to flourish.”
The previous 2 events saw the collection of over 3,000 nets, replacing them with wildlife-safe pyramid nets.
RecFish SA Executive Officer Asher Deszery said the ‘round up’ event promotes responsible fishing practices across the state.
“Two years on from the ban on opera house nets in South Australia in 2023, events such as this are a valuable opportunity to raise awareness and remind recreational fishers of the importance of fishing responsibly to support our native wildlife,” Mr Deszery said.
The opera house net exchange ‘round up’ event will be held on Saturday, 24 May from 10am until 12.30pm at Felixstow Reserve along the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari.
Registration is essential, people can return all their opera house nets, in exchange for up to 5 wildlife-safe pyramid nets.
Opera house nets were banned in South Australia from 1 July 2023, but continue to pose a serious risk to native wildlife when discarded or forgotten in creeks and rivers.
This event also supports Green Adelaide’s rewilding project to reintroduce platypus to the River Torrens / Karrawirra Pari. Learn more about this project.