Carp Control Gets More in State Budget

Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Bryan Green announced that an additional $400,000 will be provided for the Carp Management Program in this year’s State Budget. This is welcome news for the Inland Fisheries Service and will assist the Program to control the remaining carp population at Lake Sorell.

The Service has invested heavily in the control of carp at lakes Sorell and Crescent over the past 15 years. It has received financial support primarily through State government funding and to a lesser extent, the Commonwealth government.

During this time, the Service has successfully contained the carp invasion to these lakes, which was its number one priority. It went on to significantly reduce the carp population in both lakes using innovative technology, and last year, appears to have achieved a total eradication of carp from Lake Crescent.

Favourable environmental conditions last year, however, led to limited spawning and successful recruitment of juvenile carp in Lake Sorell. This was a major set-back for the carp team which was so close to achieving its long term goal of eradicating the pest fish from Tasmanian waters.

The additional funding in this year’s budget will buoy the spirits of the carp team and it will enable the implementation of further strategies to gain greater control of the carp population in the extensive waters of Lake Sorell. This work will focus on the capture of as many of the juvenile fish from the 2009-10 spawning as possible, while preventing any further spawning or subsequent population outbreaks in the 2010-11 season. Meanwhile, the carp team will continue to closely monitor Lake Crescent for the presence of any carp.

The State government’s further investment in controlling the carp population at Lake Sorell is extremely timely. It represents a vote of confidence in the Carp Management Program and the achievements of the carp team to date. It also demonstrates the government’s commitment to the State’s inland fishery and to ensuring its sustainability for future generations.