Carp Management Program

Since the discovery of carp in Tasmania in 1995, the Service has invested significant resources in a Carp Management Program, specifically funded by the State Government to deal with the problem of carp. This has resulted in their containment, the prevention of spread to other waters and the complete eradication from Lake Crescent. A concerted effort is now focused on their removal from Lake Sorell.

Graph illustrating the complete eradication of carp from Lake Crescent

The fight to eradicate carp from Lake Sorell was given a major boost in 2011-2013 with an $820,000 grant from the Commonwealth Government’s Caring for Our Country initiative. The two-year funding for the Carp Management Program will help to protect the endangered golden galaxia fish and conserve biodiversity, particularly in Interlaken Lakeside Reserve, one of the nominated Australian Ramsar sites of national environmental significance.

The current estimated population of carp remaining in Lake Sorell since the spawning event in December 2009

The additional funding matches the State Government’s contribution and should greatly assist the effort to eradicate the pest within two years. The State Government has invested a total of $7.73 million dollars in the eradication program since 1995, and through the use of innovative techniques the Inland Fisheries Service has removed more than 34,000 carp from the two lakes and has successfully eradicated the destructive pest from Lake Crescent.

A number of publications on the carp program have been produced, including annual reports, and regular updates are provided. These publications are available below:

Carp Management Publications