AFTA Participates in Murray–Darling Carp Action Summit
AFTA was strongly represented at the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s Murray–Darling Carp Action Summit, held on 30 April at the Lake Nagambie Function Centre. Attending on behalf of AFTA were Steve Threlfall (Trelly’s Tackleworld), Bill Glasson (AFN), Steve Starling, and Cassie Price (OzFish).
More than 100 participants from 40 community sectors took part, reflecting widespread concern about the ongoing impact of European carp (Cyprinus carpio) across Australia’s inland waterways. The program, led by Dr Siwan Lovett of the Australian River Restoration Centre, delivered high‑quality presentations focused on practical, coordinated solutions.
Formation of the Murray–Darling Carp Action Alliance
A key outcome of the summit was the proposed establishment of the Murray–Darling Carp Action Alliance, designed to drive a unified national response. The Alliance has outlined five core objectives:
- Unify fragmented efforts into a coordinated national approach
- Advocate for clear government leadership, accountability, and timelines
- Support evidence‑based solutions, including large‑scale control options such as the potential release of carp herpesvirus
- Elevate community, cultural, and industry perspectives
- Catalyse practical action at local, regional, and national scales
If implemented effectively, these measures have the potential to deliver measurable improvements in waterway health and native fish recovery.
Proposed Priority Actions
Summit participants identified several immediate and longer‑term actions to address carp impacts:
- List carp as an invasive species under the EPBC Act
- Undertake a controlled trial of carp herpesvirus release
- Establish a national fish‑stocking program releasing 25 million native fish annually
- Develop and implement a large‑scale fish habitat restoration program
- Introduce an effective carp abatement program
- Ensure environmental water flows incorporate carp‑breeding risk considerations
- Expand wetland drying regimes and install exclusion devices to restrict carp movement
Background: European Carp in Australia
Introduction and Spread
European carp were introduced to Australia multiple times from the mid‑19th century for ornamental, aquaculture, and recreational purposes. Early releases occurred in Tasmania (1858), Victoria (1859), and around Sydney between the 1860s and early 1900s.
The most significant expansion followed the escape or release of the “Boolara” strain from a Victorian fish farm in the early 1960s. Subsequent major flooding in the 1970s enabled rapid dispersal throughout the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB). Carp are now established across most states and territories, excluding the Northern Territory.
Scale of the Problem
Carp are among Australia’s most damaging invasive freshwater species. In parts of the MDB, they account for 80–90% of total fish biomass. Post‑2022 flood estimates suggest a population of approximately 375 million individuals. A single female carp can produce up to one million eggs per breeding season.
Key impacts include:
- Environmental: Increased turbidity, sediment disturbance, loss of aquatic vegetation, nutrient mobilisation, bank erosion and heightened algal bloom risk
- Ecological: Competition with native fish and degradation of critical habitat
- Economic and social: Annual costs estimated at as much as $500 million, including environmental damage, reduced recreational fishing value, and water quality impacts
Carp thrive in low‑oxygen, turbid, and even mildly brackish environments, and their breeding surges following flood events. This reinforces the need for environmental water management to consider carp‑breeding implications.
Current and Past Management Efforts
Existing control measures include:
- Physical removal (trapping, netting, electrofishing, commercial harvesting)
- Habitat interventions such as exclusion screens and barriers
- Recreational fishing initiatives and native fish restocking
- Research into genetic technologies, including “daughterless carp” approaches
While these methods provide localised benefits, they have not reduced carp populations at scale.
The most significant national initiative to date has been the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP), launched in 2016 to assess the feasibility of using Cyprinid herpesvirus‑3 (CyHV‑3). Despite extensive research and more than 50 scientific reports, progress has stalled. The NCCP report was released in 2022, yet carp remain unlisted as an invasive species at the Commonwealth level.
Future Directions
Complete eradication of carp is considered unattainable; however, substantial population reduction is achievable through integrated, long‑term management.
The Carp Biological Control Program (CBCP) is continuing research into virus safety, efficacy, and implementation logistics, with further work scheduled through 2027. A decision on potential virus release is expected from Agriculture Ministers around 2028, followed by state and territory approval processes.
Preparations are underway for controlled trials, enhanced trapping programs, and native species recovery initiatives. Effective implementation will require coordinated national leadership, robust community engagement, and careful planning to manage post‑virus fish mortality and water‑quality risks.
European carp remain one of the most significant threats to the ecological health of Australia’s inland waterways. The renewed momentum generated by the Murray–Darling Carp Action Summit provides a critical opportunity for coordinated national action and meaningful long‑term improvement.