The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) together with 1 million Victorian rec fishers are launching Carpe Diem (seize the day) – to save our native fish and reduce carp numbers.
On Saturday at Shepparton, around 250 recreational fishers attended the VFA’s Murray Codference to learn more about and celebrate native fish. It included presentations by gun fishers, scientists and fishery managers who shared their experiences and how we can support the recovery of native fisheries. We heard that carp populations are at record highs (up to 30 times higher than previously recorded), and without intervention, our waterways and dozens of threatened native fisheries are at risk.
In the feedback session, we heard about the need to do more to manage carp populations, and there was support for VFA’s plans to undertake a controlled field trial of the carp virus. We also heard about a decade of research on the virus through the National Carp Control Plan and uncertainty about when a final decision will be made. Recreational fishers see the impacts of carp firsthand and their advocacy for better carp management can make a difference.
More information about the VFA’s plans for the carp trial can be found at Australia’s Carp Problem – VFA.
To subscribe to the VFA’s month Carpe Diem newsletter, please click on the link below.