May 7, 2026
VRFish is advocating for immediate action to control invasive carp populations and give our struggling waterways and native fish a chance to recover from the pest species.
European carp are the ‘rabbits’ of our waterways, they have a disastrous impact on our water quality, native fish populations and cause environmental degradation to our rivers.
Across south-eastern Australia, invasive carp dominate freshwater fish communities and make up a significant proportion of fish biomass, sometimes more than 80%, in areas of the Murray-Darling Basin.
VRFish are advocating for carp control measures to be implemented as a priority to give our stressed waterways a chance to recover from the damage caused by this highly invasive species and provide a boost to our native freshwater fish populations.
Now is the time to act. Recreational fishers are deeply concerned by the negative impact carp continue to have on our waterways and we are calling for a bipartisan commitment to implement carp control measures ahead of November’s election.
We are still waiting on the Australian Government’s decision on whether or not biocontrol will be used following the National Carp Control Plan (NCCP). There is no clear timeline on when a decision will be made and, even if biocontrol is released, it will not be a stand-alone solution.
Measures that could be implemented to reduce carp populations include installing fish screens, supporting native fish passage, and establishing a National Threat Abatement Plan which includes carp harvesting, and completing the NCCP to determine if biocontrol will be released.
VRFish is of the belief that any plans to control carp populations should include complimentary measures such as native fish recovery and stocking plans and restoring fish habitat. This also allows recreational fishers to play a vital role in supporting on-ground actions, river recovery and clean-up operations.
In April, VRFish attended the Murray Darling Carp Summit, co-hosted by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Australian River Restoration Centre, where the formation of a Murray-Darling Carp Action Alliance was proposed to ensure a collaborative, Basin-wide approach to carp control.
Earlier this year, VRFish launched its plan to make fishing better ahead of November’s Victorian State Election. Through this, VRFish is calling on all Victorian political parties to commit to supporting carp control measures in our waterways.
VRFish has been proudly representing Victoria’s recreational fishing for thirty years.
View the full list of VRFish State Election Priorities on the VRFish website.
VRFish is actively advocating to make fishing better in Victoria. This demonstrates the benefit of having a strong and independent peak body.
VRFish Election Priorities
As the peak body for recreational fishing in Victoria, VRFish advocate for recreational fishing interests.
To ensure recreational fishers priorities are strongly represented ahead of the upcoming Victorian State Election, VRFish launched our Election Priorities to advocate for better recreational fishing outcomes.
At the heart of the plan, VRFish will be advocating for better fishing experiences through five core areas – better fish, better access, better environment, better regulations and better future.
BETTER ENVIRONMENT
To safeguard the quality of our fisheries and fishing experiences, VRFish is advocating for:
- $2.5m fish habitat fund, for the delivery of marine and inland habitat restoration projects.
- Support for and implementation of carp control measures.
- Water Security: protect the recreational fishery on the Wimmera-Mallee pipeline by allocating recreational water for recreational fishing.
- Native Fish Recovery: broaden the 10 in 10 endangered fish species recovery program, with additional funding for research and monitoring.
Thank you for reading this article by VRFish, the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body. Keep up-to-date on the latest Victorian recreational fishing news on our website here.
