April 2, 2026
Freshwater fishers know that European carp wreak havoc on our waterways and freshwater fisheries.
Across southeastern Australia, carp dominate freshwater fish communities and, in some areas, make up more than 80% of the fish biomass in areas of the Murray Darling Basin. According to the Victorian Fisheries Authority, there is currently enough carp in Australia to fill the MCG three and a half times over.
Carp impact heavily on native fish populations, water quality, riverine ecosystem health, and cause immense environmental degradation and impact recreational fishing opportunities.
Recently, Darren Chester, Federal Member for Gippsland and Deputy Leader of the National Party, spoke in the Australian Parliament about the need to act on controlling the invasive pest species stating, “It is time for less talk and more action to control this insidious invasive species.” And he’s right.
Mr Chester continued, “There’ve been thousands of pages of scientific research and investigation into how we manage carp and detailed reports on different approaches that are available to us, but the time for talk is over.”
Over the years, a variety of carp control measures have been trialled such as harvesting carp through baiting, netting, traps, and electrofishing, exclusion barriers and recreational fishing. There has been research into ‘daughterless carp‘ where genes are modified so that carp can only produce male offspring. Biological control agents have also been looked into since the 2000’s. Most recently through the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) which has investigated the potential use of Cyprinid herpesvirus-3 (CyHV-3, or ‘the carp virus’) to control carp numbers in Australia.
While we’ve waited years for the research of the National Carp Control Plan – although the plan was released in 2022, it recommended additional research – there has been no action on carp control in the meantime.
There are strong opinions from recreational fishers on both sides of the carp virus debate, and, despite the difference in their views, there is one clear point that both sides do agree on: it’s time for action on carp control.
The additional research that has been commissioned under the National Carp Control Plan will not be completed until 2028 and there is no clear timeline on if or when a decision will be made regarding the use of the virus. While the research is continuing, it does not mean that we cannot take other actions to control carp in our waterways.
What we’re doing about it
That’s why VRFish, as the independent peak body for recreational fishing in Victoria, will continue to advocate for carp control measures that will give our struggling waterways a chance to recover from the damage caused by this highly invasive species and provide a boost our native freshwater fish populations.
Through our Election Priorities, in the lead up to the Victorian State Election, we are advocating for all sides of the Victorian government to support carp control measures and take action to safeguard the quality of our fisheries from this invasive, pest species.
VRFish is of the belief that any plans to control carp populations should include complementary measures such as a native fish recovery and stocking plan and restoring habitat. This allows recreational fishers to play a vital role in supporting on-ground actions, clean-up operations and response.
In late April, VRFish will be attending the invitation-only Murray Darling Carp Action Summit, which will include representatives from the Victorian Fisheries Authority, Australian River Restoration Centre, and twenty other government and non-government organisations. Held at Lake Nagambie, the summit will bring together researchers, resource managers, fishers, irrigators, conservation groups and state and federal management agencies to address the lack of action on carp over the last twenty years.
Resources
Find out more about carp control:
- Australian Government | Carp Biological Control Program
- Australian Government | National Carp Control Plan
- FRDC | National Carp Control Plan
- Victorian Fisheries Authority | Carpe Diem
- View the National Carp Control Plan
