‘Serious conversation’ needed over release of carp herpes into Australian waters

Rising numbers of carp in Australia have led to calls for an eye-opening response: the release of carp herpes to control numbers.

In some of Australia’s rivers more than 90% of all fish are carp and “extreme carp spawning” is occurring as a result of flooding across the country, said ABC. The situation, in particular in the Murray-Darling Basin of southeastern Australia, has “reinvigorated debate” around releasing the carp herpes virus.

“Videos of writhing masses of both adult and young fish illustrate that all is not well in our rivers,” said fisheries ecologist Ivor Stuart and his colleagues from Charles Sturt University on The Conversation. However, they noted, there are “valid concerns” over any future release of carp herpes, including “cleaning up dead carp, and potential significant reductions of water quality and native fish”.

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The experts said that a “serious conversation” about the virus was needed, as well as other methods such as manipulating water levels to help native fish and disrupt conditions for carp to breed – but there are “no silver bullets”.

Since its introduction to Australia in the late 1960s, the common carp has become an “ecologically destructive species”, said New Scientist.

The Guardian was harsher still, describing the carp as an “introduced, bottom-feeding pest” that “muddy the waters… destroying native water plants, insects, crustaceans and fish”.

A long-awaited government report has found that more research is required before a decision on whether to release the carp herpes into Australian waterways is made.

It concluded that the virus could reduce and suppress populations by 40 to 60% and by up to 80% in less resilient populations.

However, it suggested further research into how the virus could affect other fish species, including native species.

Meanwhile, the RSPCA said that while it “recognises the need to control introduced species to minimise their environmental and agricultural impacts”, control methods “must be as humane as possible for all species, including fish”, which are “sentient animals capable of experiencing pain and suffering”.