Are carp pests? The other side of the coin…

Posted on by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Did anyone see the news report on TV earlier this week about carp eradication (it is also pasted below my ramblings)?

It is acknowledged that carp do have different feeding habits compared with the native fishes. They are reported to destroy river banks and stir up the mud, reducing visibility. They have been reported to be the dominant species in some water ways.

On the other side of the coin, we can ask… Are carp the major species in certain waterways because they displaced/out-competed native fishes, or is it that the water quality is so bad (due to anthropogenic causes of animal farms, cropping, boating, diverting and damming water, etc.) that carp are the only ones that survive? And all this does not take into account the lower rainfall. Carp can provide a food source for larger native animals (fish, birds, etc.) where other species do not thrive.

Although the ornamental koi industry is not big in Australia in comparison to other countries, it is one of the few countries that is free from the killer KHV (koi herpesvirus). Moreover, coarse fish fishing is a big business in the UK, where a 40kg carp could fetch as much as AUD$40,000! In the UK, veterinarians are not uncommonly employed to help fix up any injured fish before returning them to the water. It is a major source of protein in China and is one of the very few aquacultured fish species that thrive on a predominantly vegetarian diet (most aquacultured species relies on feeding “trash fish” to “higher value fish” to create profit). Maybe Australia would do well by nurturing these industries and to save on spending big dollars eradicating the carp that are already here .
Carp have also been listed as a noxious species in Victoria and Queensland, a declared exotic species in South Australia, and a controlled fish in Tasmania (source: http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/species/carp/government-doing). In WA, NSW and NT carp may still be kept in aquaria, garden ponds and farm dams, and may still be bought and sold. Why is there a discrepancy? Are the carp in these states more angelic? Or is it because the presence of carp in the states of Victoria and Tasmania will interfere with fishing for another exotic, predatory, fish like salmon and trout?
More about exotic fish introductions in Australia can be found: http://www.nativefish.asn.au/exotics.html

NEW ASSAULT ON CARP PEST

ABCUpdated January 10, 2012, 6:21 am

It is hoped a Commonwealth grant will put an end to the invasive carp in Lake Sorell in Tasmania’s Central Highlands.

The destructive pest infested the waters more than 16 years ago and previous eradication programs have failed to completely wipe it out.

Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Service is hoping to rid the state of carp before thousands of juvenile fish reach breeding age.

It is estimated there are only about five to 10 adult female fish left.

But Inland Fisheries Director John Diggle says about 5,000 juvenile females will reach breeding age within two years.

“At that stage we really want to be on top of the population and have most of them removed.”

The Primary Industries Minister, Bryan Green, says the effort has been boosted by a $820,000 grant from the Commonwealth.

“It allows us to effectively have a world first here and that’s to eliminate carp from Tasmanian waters.”

The State Government has invested more than $7 million in the project since it began.
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Published by TheFishVet - Richmond's School of Fish

Aquatic veterinary medicine, pathology and educational services for fish. A repository for useful information and events.

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