Alert: Australia's Rivers in Peril from Invasive Danger – What You Need To Know

As Australian rivers swell to dangerous heights in the wake of severe flooding, an unwelcome guest has followed the floodwaters into hundreds of kilometres of rivers and waterways.

It’s hard to fathom just how much devastation can be caused in a very short amount of time, so, here’s what you need to know.



Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are congested with a record number of invasive carp that are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters, and displacing native marine life.

Due to the severe flooding, the Murray-Darling Basin has seen a carp-breeding surge so rampant that the species now accounts for 90 per cent of the fish found in some waterways. In some videos uploaded on social media, the green water can be seen filled with the dark bodies of carp swimming near the surface of the water.

You can watch one of these videos below:



Dr Ivor Stuart, a Senior Scientist at the Arthur Rylah Institute and Fisheries Ecologist at Charles Sturt University, said that conditions are now worse than during the 2010 and 2016 floods.

‘I’ve been working in the field for 30 years, and there have been some bad years. But this is the worst I’ve seen,’ he claimed.



According to Mr Stuart, carp are a pest in Australia as they cause dramatic ecological damage both here and in many countries. In previous years, there have been estimates of up to 357 million carps during flood conditions.

This year, these numbers may have exceeded.

Carp are following water downriver and into floodplains, where they breed and survive in high numbers. It was reported that they head into the rivers when they’re running out of food and are ‘starving to death’.


carp1.jpg
Carp can grow up to 120 cm. Credit: Dr Ivor Stuart via The Conversation

The Murrumbidgee, Darling, and Macquarie Rivers are the worst affected because it is where floodplain litter has settled and is making the waters nutrient-rich. And despite their already-booming numbers, the carp are still expanding their territory.

The impacts of carp, according to the scientist, are like a ‘house of horrors’ for Australian rivers. The species cause massive degradations of aquatic plants, riverbanks, and riverbeds when they feed. This alters the habitat for small native fish, such as the southern pygmy perch.



This feeding behaviour contributes to muddled rivers, reducing sunlight penetration, and lessening productivity for native plants and other aquatic communities. And since carp directly modify their environment, this leads to the destruction of aquatic waterways.

Dr Stuart shared that although scientists have been successful in destroying them in Tasmania, they are still thriving on the mainland. He warned that they could spread into the tropics, the Snowy Mountains’ pristine mountain streams, and some new parts of WA.

Concerned communities are wondering if it’s time to unleash the carp herpes virus to control the population. Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 is a biological control method that was part of the federal government’s 2022 National Carp Control Plan that would cost an estimated $190 million to implement.


carp3.jpg
Biological control methods are being investigated by the government. Credit: Thirdman/Pexels

According to the mathematical modelling of the bio-control method, the carp virus could cause a 40 to 60 per cent decrease in carp population for at least 10 years. This could help tip the balance in favour of native fish.

However, the report does not explicitly endorse releasing the virus to control populations. It only outlines the steps that would be required before the virus is released.

Further research must be undertaken to prove the efficacy of this method and its impact on water quality for communities nearby. Other concerns included cleaning up dead carp, and potential significant reductions of water quality and native fish.



But how else can the carp population be managed?

Dr Stuart said that if the goal is reducing carp numbers and its impacts in the long run, then it is important to examine the roles humans play in supporting them.

The scientist then gave an example to support his claim. ‘The series of weir pools in the lower Murray create perfect conditions for carp because they give fish access to floodplains year-round,’ he started.

Dr Stuart added: ‘Strategically lowering and removing weir pools to re-create flowing water habitats would be one solution to help Murray cod and other flowing water specialists, such as silver perch, river snails and Murray crays. This is one of many integrated actions that could help tip the balance against carp.’

Another pathway he found was to seek guidance from ‘sophisticated environmental modelling’ that identifies the optimal population trajectory for native fish. Additionally, floods carry a huge potential for increases in the numbers of golden perch, frogs, yabbies, and water birds. ‘Animals that eat carp should all be as fat as they can be.’
Key Takeaways
  • Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are clogged with unprecedented numbers of invasive carp due to the severe flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin.
  • The carp are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters and displacing native species.
  • Scientists will need to use multiple techniques to help reduce their numbers, such as bio-control methods.
Did you know that carp can cause this much damage to marine wildlife? Share your thoughts about Dr Stuart’s findings in the comments below!
 
Sponsored
As Australian rivers swell to dangerous heights in the wake of severe flooding, an unwelcome guest has followed the floodwaters into hundreds of kilometres of rivers and waterways.

It’s hard to fathom just how much devastation can be caused in a very short amount of time, so, here’s what you need to know.



Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are congested with a record number of invasive carp that are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters, and displacing native marine life.

Due to the severe flooding, the Murray-Darling Basin has seen a carp-breeding surge so rampant that the species now accounts for 90 per cent of the fish found in some waterways. In some videos uploaded on social media, the green water can be seen filled with the dark bodies of carp swimming near the surface of the water.

You can watch one of these videos below:



Dr Ivor Stuart, a Senior Scientist at the Arthur Rylah Institute and Fisheries Ecologist at Charles Sturt University, said that conditions are now worse than during the 2010 and 2016 floods.

‘I’ve been working in the field for 30 years, and there have been some bad years. But this is the worst I’ve seen,’ he claimed.



According to Mr Stuart, carp are a pest in Australia as they cause dramatic ecological damage both here and in many countries. In previous years, there have been estimates of up to 357 million carps during flood conditions.

This year, these numbers may have exceeded.

Carp are following water downriver and into floodplains, where they breed and survive in high numbers. It was reported that they head into the rivers when they’re running out of food and are ‘starving to death’.


View attachment 14308
Carp can grow up to 120 cm. Credit: Dr Ivor Stuart via The Conversation

The Murrumbidgee, Darling, and Macquarie Rivers are the worst affected because it is where floodplain litter has settled and is making the waters nutrient-rich. And despite their already-booming numbers, the carp are still expanding their territory.

The impacts of carp, according to the scientist, are like a ‘house of horrors’ for Australian rivers. The species cause massive degradations of aquatic plants, riverbanks, and riverbeds when they feed. This alters the habitat for small native fish, such as the southern pygmy perch.



This feeding behaviour contributes to muddled rivers, reducing sunlight penetration, and lessening productivity for native plants and other aquatic communities. And since carp directly modify their environment, this leads to the destruction of aquatic waterways.

Dr Stuart shared that although scientists have been successful in destroying them in Tasmania, they are still thriving on the mainland. He warned that they could spread into the tropics, the Snowy Mountains’ pristine mountain streams, and some new parts of WA.

Concerned communities are wondering if it’s time to unleash the carp herpes virus to control the population. Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 is a biological control method that was part of the federal government’s 2022 National Carp Control Plan that would cost an estimated $190 million to implement.


View attachment 14309
Biological control methods are being investigated by the government. Credit: Thirdman/Pexels

According to the mathematical modelling of the bio-control method, the carp virus could cause a 40 to 60 per cent decrease in carp population for at least 10 years. This could help tip the balance in favour of native fish.

However, the report does not explicitly endorse releasing the virus to control populations. It only outlines the steps that would be required before the virus is released.

Further research must be undertaken to prove the efficacy of this method and its impact on water quality for communities nearby. Other concerns included cleaning up dead carp, and potential significant reductions of water quality and native fish.



But how else can the carp population be managed?

Dr Stuart said that if the goal is reducing carp numbers and its impacts in the long run, then it is important to examine the roles humans play in supporting them.

The scientist then gave an example to support his claim. ‘The series of weir pools in the lower Murray create perfect conditions for carp because they give fish access to floodplains year-round,’ he started.

Dr Stuart added: ‘Strategically lowering and removing weir pools to re-create flowing water habitats would be one solution to help Murray cod and other flowing water specialists, such as silver perch, river snails and Murray crays. This is one of many integrated actions that could help tip the balance against carp.’

Another pathway he found was to seek guidance from ‘sophisticated environmental modelling’ that identifies the optimal population trajectory for native fish. Additionally, floods carry a huge potential for increases in the numbers of golden perch, frogs, yabbies, and water birds. ‘Animals that eat carp should all be as fat as they can be.’
Key Takeaways

  • Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are clogged with unprecedented numbers of invasive carp due to the severe flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin.
  • The carp are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters and displacing native species.
  • Scientists will need to use multiple techniques to help reduce their numbers, such as bio-control methods.
Did you know that carp can cause this much damage to marine wildlife? Share your thoughts about Dr Stuart’s findings in the comments below!

It's time they used this virus and stop pussy footing around was supposed to be released a few years ago it will be to late for native species if they keep delaying it
 
I'm not sure about releasing viruses as they mutate too quickly. We could end up with another outbreak similar to COVID. It only takes one mutation to jump from fish to other creatures to humans.
 
I saw a Polish woman with about three large carp and said, "I think they are not good to eat". She laughed and wiggling her finger said, "KNOW in my country this is for a special meal we make at Christmas times and for celebration". She said holding it up "FISH IS GOOD." I came home and googled where Australia's carp came from and evidently a few ethnic country folks considered it so delicious they released fingerlings into our waterways so they could eat them.

I personally have never eaten one but a guy I saw cleaning a couple by the Wilsons River before the flood said. "Oh it depends on how you cook 'em I just scale and gut them, chop 'em up like mullet and drop in oil or batter then oil. They taste great mate."
The reason I add input here, is THINK ABOUT IT of all the people that hate carp, how many have eaten any or even found the value of catching them and mulching them up for the garden?

A massive resource like locusts has politicians running like headless chooks not knowing what to do. yet they sell the same ones overseas for food, so why not export them?
It reminds me while hitchhiking in my teen's I said to the farmer that picked me up"what are all of those yellow flowers?" and pointed to his paddocks. "Bloody things he said I poison them, I burn them and they keep on coming back". I said "why don't you find out what they are? as it sure seems they like it here and everything is either a food or its poisonous to us, or its medicine. Turns out it was CANOLA.

I'm a west Australian by origin, and jellyfish were a MASSIVE problem when I was young, they were everywhere in plague proportions. The government debated and debated for years about resolving the infestation Then one day an Italian guy rowed out in his tinny, scooped a couple of fresh ones up and finding no intertest in Australia he set up a multibillion-dollar export business and probably still sells them to China.

Instead of everyone complaining when Mother nature presents something in abundance, what we need are people who can see the opportunity and that bring benefit to many peoples' lives.

I am flat broke but I see opportunities EVERYWHERE that government considers a plague.
 
As Australian rivers swell to dangerous heights in the wake of severe flooding, an unwelcome guest has followed the floodwaters into hundreds of kilometres of rivers and waterways.

It’s hard to fathom just how much devastation can be caused in a very short amount of time, so, here’s what you need to know.



Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are congested with a record number of invasive carp that are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters, and displacing native marine life.

Due to the severe flooding, the Murray-Darling Basin has seen a carp-breeding surge so rampant that the species now accounts for 90 per cent of the fish found in some waterways. In some videos uploaded on social media, the green water can be seen filled with the dark bodies of carp swimming near the surface of the water.

You can watch one of these videos below:



Dr Ivor Stuart, a Senior Scientist at the Arthur Rylah Institute and Fisheries Ecologist at Charles Sturt University, said that conditions are now worse than during the 2010 and 2016 floods.

‘I’ve been working in the field for 30 years, and there have been some bad years. But this is the worst I’ve seen,’ he claimed.



According to Mr Stuart, carp are a pest in Australia as they cause dramatic ecological damage both here and in many countries. In previous years, there have been estimates of up to 357 million carps during flood conditions.

This year, these numbers may have exceeded.

Carp are following water downriver and into floodplains, where they breed and survive in high numbers. It was reported that they head into the rivers when they’re running out of food and are ‘starving to death’.


View attachment 14308
Carp can grow up to 120 cm. Credit: Dr Ivor Stuart via The Conversation

The Murrumbidgee, Darling, and Macquarie Rivers are the worst affected because it is where floodplain litter has settled and is making the waters nutrient-rich. And despite their already-booming numbers, the carp are still expanding their territory.

The impacts of carp, according to the scientist, are like a ‘house of horrors’ for Australian rivers. The species cause massive degradations of aquatic plants, riverbanks, and riverbeds when they feed. This alters the habitat for small native fish, such as the southern pygmy perch.



This feeding behaviour contributes to muddled rivers, reducing sunlight penetration, and lessening productivity for native plants and other aquatic communities. And since carp directly modify their environment, this leads to the destruction of aquatic waterways.

Dr Stuart shared that although scientists have been successful in destroying them in Tasmania, they are still thriving on the mainland. He warned that they could spread into the tropics, the Snowy Mountains’ pristine mountain streams, and some new parts of WA.

Concerned communities are wondering if it’s time to unleash the carp herpes virus to control the population. Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 is a biological control method that was part of the federal government’s 2022 National Carp Control Plan that would cost an estimated $190 million to implement.


View attachment 14309
Biological control methods are being investigated by the government. Credit: Thirdman/Pexels

According to the mathematical modelling of the bio-control method, the carp virus could cause a 40 to 60 per cent decrease in carp population for at least 10 years. This could help tip the balance in favour of native fish.

However, the report does not explicitly endorse releasing the virus to control populations. It only outlines the steps that would be required before the virus is released.

Further research must be undertaken to prove the efficacy of this method and its impact on water quality for communities nearby. Other concerns included cleaning up dead carp, and potential significant reductions of water quality and native fish.



But how else can the carp population be managed?

Dr Stuart said that if the goal is reducing carp numbers and its impacts in the long run, then it is important to examine the roles humans play in supporting them.

The scientist then gave an example to support his claim. ‘The series of weir pools in the lower Murray create perfect conditions for carp because they give fish access to floodplains year-round,’ he started.

Dr Stuart added: ‘Strategically lowering and removing weir pools to re-create flowing water habitats would be one solution to help Murray cod and other flowing water specialists, such as silver perch, river snails and Murray crays. This is one of many integrated actions that could help tip the balance against carp.’

Another pathway he found was to seek guidance from ‘sophisticated environmental modelling’ that identifies the optimal population trajectory for native fish. Additionally, floods carry a huge potential for increases in the numbers of golden perch, frogs, yabbies, and water birds. ‘Animals that eat carp should all be as fat as they can be.’
Key Takeaways

  • Thousands of kilometres of Australian rivers are clogged with unprecedented numbers of invasive carp due to the severe flooding in the Murray-Darling Basin.
  • The carp are stirring up nutrients, muddying waters and displacing native species.
  • Scientists will need to use multiple techniques to help reduce their numbers, such as bio-control methods.
Did you know that carp can cause this much damage to marine wildlife? Share your thoughts about Dr Stuart’s findings in the comments below!

We don’t need another virus put into our waterways, what we need is a bounty per kilo of them, just like getting paid for fox scalps, make it profitable enough and you will have kids catching them all the time, as well as adults, it will have the added bonus of being able to be used for pet food and increase the sales of fishing gear.
 
get rid of all the weirs in the Murray would be a start, open the snowy dam when all the flooding has gone away and flush the river. As many have said its an industry if someone gets crackin at it.

I know many Vietnamese people can make this into a great tasting meal and they haven't been poisoned by it, mind their bodies are used to eating anything that moves.

I wouldn't be surprised if 90% of the fish dishes served at restaurants in Cabramatta were carp from the Georges River at Carramar, once its got a Chinese type sweet sauce on it who cares what species of fish it is.

Maybe the SDC members at Echuca through to Tailem Bend should form a co op get a grant to eradicate the carp by commercial netting and start a chain of fish shops? Lol
 
Back In the 1980s a company was making pet food with the Carp. Canberra had one day a year that everyone was catching carp in Lake Burleigh Griffin. A prize for the biggest carp was awarded .. Hundreds of carp were removed from the Lake but we dont hear anything about that these days. MAKE AND SELL FERTILISER... within a decade they would probably be eliminated. I heard the story that idiots brought them here and released them into waterways for their want for food .. then they never ate fast enough. Probably found Cod to be better.. Bloody Idiots. These fish can suck the mud away from under large gum tree (River Gums etc) and the trees collapse into the waterways, floods cover them with mud and the river begins to change course slowly but surely.
They make good cat food and fertiliser ..so what is the holdup the product is abundant and cheap for the manufacturers.
 
Government and Governance may appear connected; however, it is an absolute fact that talking about an issue is the closest thing there is to actually physically doing anything about an issue.

Meetings, surveys, reports, further enquiries, debates, all require venues, good food and copious amounts of time, effort and energy as well as costing taxpayers an incredible amount of money.

To be asked to spend EVEN MORE money (unless an electorate need propping up prior to an election) is possibly considered a ridiculous waste of resources. All politicians are basically Lobbyists in training, making connections to corporations, so they can move forwards in life and in doing so improve the lives of their families. It's a lot to focus on.

To have to focus on anything other than directing road work crews to go in another direction may seem ridiculous. Just because a logical easily implemented answer is there for all to see, doesn't mean it can be seen without binoculars from a plane as they fly over the top investigating issues.

Up here in the Norther Rivers politicians have no concept at all of why we require train services.

So how on earth is such a logical practical money-making venture that would employ people to do a great job that would clear our waterways and reconstitute our soils, ever going to get heard?

It will possibly be another debated, surveyed, assessed and considered repeatedly, thing to stir attention while doing nothing but talk about it and they'll probably just poison the fish as it only takes a couple of pieces of paper to get that done. We the people aren't allowed to simply solve it.

In underdeveloped counties for instance, where they don't have such a multileveled bureaucracy, if a creek is invaded by plankton, they just pull it out and bury it about three feet down in bad soil that generates fresh grass for cows etc, to eat. Here in Australia... we leave it or spray it! ha ha ha.

Of course, the problem with the carp infesting our waterways can be seen as a MASSIVE BOON to our nation with proper management and not a calamity. To the average intellect, its obvious!

Repeated lack of intelligent action make people question, why is it that we have politicians?
 

Join the conversation

News, deals, games, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.

Seniors Discount Club

The SDC searches for the best deals, discounts, and bargains for Aussies over 60. From everyday expenses like groceries and eating out, to electronics, fashion and travel, the club is all about helping you make your money go further.
  1. New members
  2. Jokes & fun
  3. Photography
  4. Nostalgia / Yesterday's Australia
  5. Food and Lifestyle
  6. Money Saving Hacks
  7. Offtopic / Everything else
  • We believe that retirement should be a time to relax and enjoy life, not worry about money. That's why we're here to help our members make the most of their retirement years. If you're over 60 and looking for ways to save money, connect with others, and have a laugh, we’d love to have you aboard.
  • Advertise with us

User Menu

Enjoyed Reading our Story?

  • Share this forum to your loved ones.
Change Weather Postcode×
Change Petrol Postcode×