IT’S been more than fifty years since carp exploded into our waterways following widespread flooding across the Murray Darling Basin in the 1970s.
With each subsequent flood, they push further upstream, take more territory, increase turbidity, destroy aquatic vegetation, erode riverbanks, displace native fish, and ruin our fishing and camping experience. Despite half a century of trying to control them using netting, exclusion devices, baiting, electrofishing, commercial and recreational fishing, these options provide only
short-term and local controls.
The Federal Government has researched the use of a carp herpes virus as a biological control agent for almost two decades culminating in the publication of the National Carp Control Plan in 2022. In 2024, the Federal government announced a further $3 million dollars in research funding. Timelines to complete this research and to make a final decision on the use of the carp virus remain unclear. To address some of the key information gaps, the VFA engaged leading researchers to prepare a plan for a field-based bio secure carp virus trial – to date this proposal has not been supported by the Federal Government.
The VFA prepared a detailed submission to the Federal Government to list carp as a key threatening process under the EPBC Act alongside other invasive species like rabbits, goats, pigs, foxes, and others. Listed invasive species enable the development of a national threat abatement
plan which drive a coordinated investment – to date, VFA’s proposal to list carp has not been supported by the Federal Government. The VFA has also nominated carp for listing as a potentially
threatening process under Victoria’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The nominations
provide a foundation for building a coordinated approach to improve the health of Victoria’s freshwater native fisheries and aquatic ecosystems by managing carp – VFA is awaiting feedback on this proposal.
Over the past few years, on the back of another flood and record numbers of carp, the VFA has engaged recreational and commercial fishers, landowners, farmers, NRM agencies and local and federal government to raise awareness about the impacts of carp, the extent of the problem, the need for an integrated approach to Australia’s carp problem.
Victoria is building a broad-based coalition of support for more action on carp by hosting a national carp summit in northern Victoria in the new year.
More info at vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-fishing/featured/australias-carp-problem
