Wildlife advocates are calling for the Queensland government to ban deadly yabby traps that pose a threat to Logan’s already small platypus population.
Certain enclosed yabby traps, known as the opera house net, completely entrap animals that are lured inside using collapsible nets.
This means those that breathe air – such as platypus, turtles, and rakali (a native water rat) – die within minutes if trapped.
As a result, every Australian state and territory except Queensland has banned or restricted opera house nets.
Dr Tamielle Brunt from the Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld wants the Queensland government to follow suit and has called for more action to protect “our unique and iconic platypus before any more drown”.
While there are no recorded platypus drownings in Logan, Dr Brunt said she had “no doubt” the nets were used in the area.
“Just because deaths aren’t recorded doesn’t mean they aren’t happening – especially in areas where platypus’ are in low numbers or not actively monitored,” she said.
Local platypus advocate with Watergum Community, Aleta Saville said the opera house nets had been found along the Albert River during the organisation’s biannual surveys.
“Mainly discarded ones that have been left behind,” she said.
“It hasn’t been for a while, and we do remove them when we see them.”
Watergum’s Albert River surveys, which started in 2018, have consistently shown local platypus numbers were “quite low”.
Over the years, results have varied between zero and three sightings.
