The Lake Macquarie pop-up crab trap exchange program aims to encourage local fishers to move away from traditional witches hat nets by providing an environmentally friendly crab fishing alternative. Witches-hats are made of very thin, entanglement mesh, which is inverted when set and can result in the incidental entanglement and drowning of turtles and other non-target species. The lightweight nature of the steel ring in witches-hat nets, allows them to move location during tidal movements and be lost to the fisher, which then continues to ghostfish. The exchange program also supports moving away from rectangular crab traps as these have large entrances and are known to have a turtle bycatch issue.
The exchange day has two responsible gear types – round crab traps and lift nets.
You can exchange a witches hat for a FREE lift net
Or, you can exchange a rectangular crab trap or 2 witches hats for a FREE round crab trap
Maximum of 2 traps per person
For more details on how to crab fish responsibly and modify your gear – https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-skills/responsible-fishing-guidelines/crab-traps-preventing-turtle-drownings
Location - Fisho's Lodge, Gwandalan Bowling Club 70 Gamban Rd Gwandalan NSW 2259
Registration - All attendees on the day are required to register. Parking is available onsite.
This crab gear exchange is run with the assistance of our dedicated Fishcare Volunteers.
