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View Full Version : Am I a threat to wildlife?



rayken1938
13-10-2010, 08:06 PM
I have been red clawing at North Pind Dam, using opera house pots for quite a long time now and in that time my total by catch is:-
2 water rats one this year because I had my pot in shallow water 80mm ring in trap.The other several years ago and no details known.
1 lungfish entered torn pot and released ok. It probably could have got out by itself and may have been having a feed of bait or red claw.
A few tandanus all released alive.
Probably 100 or so juvenile tilapia. ( Good thing and all killed)
I waterbird that had its hooked beak caught in a fabric mesh shrimp trap and drowned.
Note I now do not use mesh shrimp traps.
I do not know the exact years that I have been going there but allowing for the closure due to drought I think that 5 years would be a fair estimate.
Allowing for holidays allow 40 weeks attendance per year.
I go there 3 times a week ,sometimes 4.
So that is 120 visits per year.
Dependent who comes with me I use between 4 and 12 pots per visit. So allow 6 as an average
.I lift my traps twice per visit.
That is 1440 per year multiplied by 5.
That equals 7200 pot movements for a total of 2 water rats.
I have never caught a turtle in a pot even though there is a large population of them in NPD.
Proves that I am a really significant threat to wildlife doesn't it?
Cheers
Ray