European Carp- Mimi Jones

Provide the common and scientific name of the selected introduced species:
The European Carp (Cyprinus Carpio), also known as the Eurasian Carp or the Common
Carp.

Identify its country of origin.

The European carp originated in China and spread throughout Asia and Europe.

Summarise historical information around its introduction into Australia. Include

intended reasons for its introduction and approximate dates if known.
Carp have been introduced into Australia both deliberately, in an attempt to imitate the
European environment, and accidentally, through the escape of aquaculture or ornamental
fish.
® In Victoria, the stocking of carp began c.1859, but was not successful.
® In NSW, Carp were first introduced in 1865. In the early 1900s, several wild populations
of Carp were established around Sydney, using fingerlings, including in Prospect
Reservoir (where they still persist).
® The timing and mode of carp introductions into the Murray-Darling river system is
unclear, but Carp have been established in the Basin since at least the 1920s, remaining
uncommon for several years.
® The 1960s brought a new strain of Carp, imported for aquaculture at a fish farm in
Boolarra and stocked into farm dams near Mildura. They soon spread up the Murray and
Darling Rivers, assisted by widespread flooding in the mid 1970s.
® Since then, carp have since gone on to radiate very successfully throughout the Murray-
Darling system, including in Queensland and South Australia as well as NSW and
Victoria. They have also been found in Lakes Crescent and Sorrell in Tasmania.
® Many NSW coastal catchments now also contain carp, often koi which have escaped
from backyard ponds or been deliberately released.
® The spread of carp may also have been assisted by anglers illegally using them for live
bait or illegally stocking them to create new carp fisheries. The fact that a distinct strain,
unrelated to nearby populations, has been found in two dams in the Murray-Darling Basin
(Wyangala and Burrinjuck Dams) suggests human introduction from a separate source.

Plan and outline a method you would use to measure and estimate the distribution and
abundance of your introduced species across Australia.
1. Utilising the commonly used method for estimating fish populations, of mark and
recapture, determine a capturing area of approximately 10km2 within the Murray Darling
Basin River System, where carp populations are most abundant. Select a period of 7 days
to do marking and ensure equipment includes a sufficient quantity of electronic acoustic
tags for all carp encountered, capturing equipment such as nets and electronic tagging
devices.
2. Capture the European Carp within the 10km2 radius, marking all fish that are caught with
electronic acoustic tags. Then release the marked carp back into the water. Record the
quantity of carp caught.
3. After a period of six months, in the same 10km2 radius, catch the same quantity of
European Carp as previously, and record how many of these are marked carp. Use the
below formula to determine the number of estimated European Carp population:
Number of individuals marked x Total number captured the second time
Number of individuals recaptured with a mark
 European Carp- Mimi Jones

Include 2 x table or graph that contains relevant statistical information about the
species and the abiotic features of the ecosystem that the organism inhabits.

Abiotic factors Carp prefer: Abiotic Factors Carp have high tolerance
for (in comparison to native species):
- Long, meandering, and slow flowing - Low oxygen levels
water flow. - Pollutants
- Low altitudes. - Higher levels of turbidity
- Stagnant waters - Changes to water flows
- Brackish waters - Declined water quality
- Water temperatures between 15 – 30ºC
- Soft, muddy soil at river bottoms

Describe trends, patterns, and relationships in the data.

In figure 1, In many locations, particularly for lowland rivers and wetlands, the biomass
densities of Carp are well above the accepted threshold levels (i.e., 80-100 kg/ha) at which
detrimental ecological impacts may occur, highlighting the spatial extent to which
detrimental impacts may occur in ecosystems across large areas of Australia. Furthermore, it
can be seen that a large area of NSW, extending into Queensland, Victoria and SA is
populated by high Carp densities ranging from 0-50 kg/ha to 400- 1000 kg/ha.

Explain the impact of the species on the Australian ecosystem, giving particular
attention to its interactions with and effects on native species. Include impacts on both
biotic and abiotic factors where relevant.
Carp, due to their adaptability, have had high success in the colonisation of new
environments. Carp typically result in detrimental effects on native aquatic plants, animals,
and general river health, particularly through their destructive feeding habits. In some cases,
carp have likely been blamed for human degradation, it is clear that carp can have major
impacts. Some of the probable impacts of carp are outlined below.

Biotic Factors Abiotic Factors

Algal blooms: Reduced water quality:
There have been suggestions that carp may increase the likelihood of Carp contribute to poor water quality by
algal blooms by preying on animals that eat algae, stirring up nutrients uprooting vegetation and stirring up
trapped in bottom sediments, damaging aquatic plants, and reducing sediments during feeding, leading to
plant growth via greater turbidity. increased turbidity.
- This in turn reduces light penetration.
 European Carp- Mimi Jones

However, carp densities may have to be very high to significantly

increase the likelihood of an algal bloom.
Impacts on invertebrates: Reduced light penetration:
Juvenile carp predominate food source is zooplankton. They then start Carp’s increasing turbidity levels of water
consuming macro-invertebrates once they reach around 15 cm in length. in turn results in reduced light penetration.
There is strong evidence that carp negatively impact native invertebrates
in still waters.
Impacts on aquatic plants: Erosion:
Carp have significant effects on native aquatic plants both through direct Carp feeding habits can undermine
grazing and through uprooting plants while feeding, leading to a riverbanks leading to the collapse of banks
reduction in plant density and biomass. Soft-leaved, shallow-rooted, and and vegetation.
submerged plants are most likely to be affected.
Disease: -
In other parts of the world, carp have been associated with the
distribution of a range of parasites and fungal, bacterial, and viral
diseases. However, there have been few disease outbreaks attributed to
carp in Australia.
Reduction in native fish numbers: -
The effects of carp on native fish are not well understood, however the
impacts of carp are thought to include competition for food and habitats
and effects on recruitment (population replenishment). However, many
native species (such as golden perch, Murray cod, silver perch and
freshwater catfish) had experienced well-documented declines even
before carp became widespread.

Predict the potential outcomes for native species if the current scenario continues.
Due to Carp’s contributions to increased turbidity, in turn reducing light penetration, native
fish species that rely on sight to feed struggle to thrive in their ecosystem. Moreover, reduced
light penetrations also decreases native plant growth. Excess turbidity also suspends
sediments that can smother native plants and clog fishes’ gills. Overall, these native species
are under duress and will likely be reduced in numbers due to the Carp’s disruptions to the
natural ecosystem. Furthermore, Carp are also reducing native species’ populations by
competing with native fish species for food and habitats, increasing algal blooms, thus
increasing the toxicity of the water, spreading disease to native fish populations, and eating or
uprooting native aquatic plants and invertebrates in excess, all thereby likely decreasing
reproduction and replenishment of native species’ populations.

Describe the conservation strategies that have been implemented to manage the
problem and comment on the success or challenges of these.
As of 1 May 2016, it was announced that $15.2 million would be delegated in funding for the
development and potential implementation of the National Carp Control Plan. The plan is
being developed by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), to
determine the feasibility of using Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (carp virus) as a biological control
agent for common carp in Australia while minimising any impacts to industries, communities
and the environment should a carp virus release go ahead.

Challenges and getting approval:

Ongoing research, designed to augment and cross-check previous scientific work, has been
challenged by a number of delays due to Covid-19. It is now expected that this research will
 European Carp- Mimi Jones

be integrated into the plan and provided to the Australian Government in 2022. The plan will
then be considered by all Australian governments, prior to being publicly released.
This work will enable Australian and state and territory governments to consider a first step
decision on whether or not to proceed further towards a potential release of the carp virus.
However, considerable work is required before any potential release of the carp virus could
occur. The plan will be one of a number of inputs, with additional work needed across a
range of areas, including:
a. consulting publicly on the plan.
b. working through legislative approvals processes, primarily the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, Biological Control Act 1984,
Biosecurity Act 2015 and under various state and territory legislation.
c. implementation planning.
d. additional research into the production of the carp virus for approval under
the Agriculture and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994.
In terms of its nature and scale, this proposal is unprecedented in Australia. It is necessary to
take the time to complete a comprehensive and rigorous assessment.

Carp virus:
- The carp virus is a naturally occurring strain of carp herpesvirus, which has been
found in over 30 countries around the world.
- Extensive evidence, including testing of Australian species by CSIRO, indicates that
the carp virus is specific to common carp, and doesn't cause disease in other species
of fish (including native Australian fish) or in other animals that are exposed to the
virus, including humans.
- Testing conducted by the CSIRO, through the former Invasive Animals Cooperative
Research Centre, has found that under optimal conditions the carp virus will kill up to
95 per cent of infected carp.

Outcomes:
- The plan is yet to be implemented, but a reduction in European Carp numbers is
estimated, with no harm to other native Australian fish populations.

Suggest other possible solutions to the problems associated with this species.
- To potentially solve the problem of the overabundance of European Carp,
encouragement of the fishing of the Carp to reduce their numbers across Australia.
This method would allow a decrease in Carp numbers, and subsequently, an increase
in sustainable fishing. The caught Carp can be used to be eaten or as pet food. To
encourage this method, government funding could be allocated to advertise fishing
Carp, or community-organised events could promote the fishing of Carp. The
limitation of this method is that, due to the Carp’s vast abundance in Australia, unless
largescale enough, fishing will only likely result in a short-term population reduction.
- The increase in Algal blooms as potentially caused by European Carp could be solved
with Ultrasonic Algae control technology. Ultrasonic technologies use sound to create
a sound layer in the upper water layer, affecting the Algae’s buoyancy and causing
them to drown and be deprived of sunlight for photosynthesis, thus killing the blooms.
- Another suggested mitigation method is an injection given to the European Carp to
affect fertility, making it so Carp only can give birth to a male, thus making it
impossible to breed and vastly reducing numbers.