Carp now a class 3 pest in NSW

[hooked_on_trout]

Looks like the NSW DPI are also doing a bit of a trade off with the "PETA" minded greenies.

I wonder what brain storm thought it would be good to catch and release European carp and Koi.

As good as they are for fun, I grew up in Western NSW and these things just take over.

The Gambusia also gets the thumbs up .

Noxious species list

Class 3 noxious species

Mind you I notice Tilapia is a class 1.

They would be better of promoting hem as a food source.

cheers

[Joel Eadie]

totally agree with you in that one should be allowed to eat tilapia, it would greatly increase interest in catching them

[Young_fella]

i was checking out the queensland noxious fish list...

It seams almost every species of catfish is on there lol!

tilapia was on there also.....

[rayke1938]

The main reason that you are not supposed to take tilapia and carp in qld is that people will translocate them to a waterway closer to home. That is how tilapia have been established in the Hervey Bay area.

A farmer put them into his dam which overflowed and away they went.

Cheers

Ray

[hooked_on_trout]

Wonder why they are letting Gambusia and Carp be let go?

They are a very invasive fish..

Maybe the kill count of hand caught fish would not make an iota?

Even so IMO it sets the field for carp lovers to come running with catch and release sympathies and hindering the survival of all our natives

@Joel I have a recipe in the recipe thread if your keen

@Young_fella : I will have a look, eel tails have to be native, dunno about the forkies .

cheers

[crazywalrus]

The main reason that you are not supposed to take tilapia and carp in qld is that people will translocate them to a waterway closer to home. That is how tilapia have been established in the Hervey Bay area.

A farmer put them into his dam which overflowed and away they went.

Cheers

Ray

I understand this however I find it hard to think of a local freshwater creek around here that does not have an endemic population of Tilapia in it. If people where allowed to kill them and take them home and eat them I think there would be more caught. I do think that this horse has bolted in this local area and this species has never any chance of being controlled.

[ellicat]

How strange !

Maybe the restocking of natives has helped to a point where they're no longer threatened by the carp ???

Maybe the carp offspring are proving to be a good food supply for adult natives as well as vice versa. Maybe an equilibrium has been attained.

Maybe that flying pig will land soon.

[hunter armytage]

I am originaly from Deniliquin in the riverina area of NSW and we have several creeks located on my parents farms and are near the larger edward river that runs through town. Over the years when ever i go back we allways have a fish and i have noticed a few things.

1. In the larger edward creeks and smaller creeks that have been heavilly re- stocked with native fish, mainly by individuals and local fishing clubs and charitys( very little by government organisations as far as i am aware) the natives have improved greatly and its now more often to catch a cod than it is to catch a carp.

2. in areas not have been heavilly stocked and i mean very heavily its the opposite with 20-30 carp to a cod

3. before it was illegal small carp used to make the best live bait for the big cods

4.the only good carp in australia is a dead carp.

well thats my 2 cents anyway

[ellicat]

That's good to hear, hunter. I suspected that may be the case, however you can only wonder as to why they removed them from Class 1 to 3. Seems the system was working on getting rid of them. Maybe a European has infiltrated their Fisheries department or some PETA - friendly goose :S

A dead one is definitely the best one. (Carp that is :whistle: )

I certainly will be keeping them as Class 1 in my activities.

[werewolf]

i was checking out the queensland noxious fish list...

It seams almost every species of catfish is on there lol!

tilapia was on there also.....

None of the native catfish are on there (eg no eel-tailed, blue catfish (forkies), giant catfish etc)

[Brian D]

I suppose it's partly up to groups like AFO to up their catch rate and target these species.

Carp, in my view, are highly under-rated as a sport fish, they go off when you hook them on lure on light gear.

I'm not sure that just because they are a pest that they are not fun to catch.

This is not to say that we shouldn't knock em on the head rather than chucking them back either, I don't think I could ever chuck em back. I do like the idea of live baiting.

When I get spare time I get to go fishing heaps and I tend to target highly rated species, when I am short for time my fishing time is very restricted and I would take a tadpole of a cotton thread . Sometimes I think we get a little "species snobby" especially when there is spare time for lots of fishing.

Of course I would take a local icon over imported species but right now I would gladly take a 2kg carp on a line rather than a sore arse from sitting at my desk.

Question: How long until a species is regarded as a local? 100, 200 300 years?

[hooked_on_trout]

It has been proven that the Australian natives if given the upper hand will dominate the ecosystem.

I do not see how keeping carp alive will give the natives any advantage.

Brian the species will never be regarded as local, same as the rabbit the rat and the cane toad.

They are a kinda good fight but in reality is that a reason to stock our rivers with them at the expense of our highly edible and aesthetic natives.

Mate you can keep your native carp, I grew up catching them and believe me you get sick of them very quickly, when that is all there is to catch.

edit: 2kg carp?.... mate try 6-8kg carp that eats anything and everything.

They do not belong they are a product of poor land and water management.

cheers

[Scope]

Bit off topic, forgive my ignorance - are the majority of the fish on the list estuary/freshwater species?

Is it an unusual occurrence for a pest species to inhabit the bay or open waters ?

[crazywalrus]

Bit off topic, forgive my ignorance - are the majority of the fish on the list estuary/freshwater species?

Is it an unusual occurrence for a pest species to inhabit the bay or open waters ?

Not heard of them mate however I think most introductions have been from people discarding their pets from their aquariums so if that is the case than most people have freshwater tanks.

Not a fish - but in Tassy a white star fish has taken over the Hobart bay - came in in the bilge I think.

[Scope]

oh ok, yeah, have heard of the crown of thorns starfish, as well as certain types of weed. Interesting

[fishingnut]

What about trout? spotted carp IMO very pretty yes and good to eat a native ............NO!

[hooked_on_trout]

What about trout? spotted carp IMO very pretty yes and good to eat a native ............NO!

I doubt they would flourish if the rivers where not restocked.

BTW. That is just a name, I not really a trout fisherman except for a few random ventures.

If they were removed from Australian waters I wouldn't really notice.

I must say it is an interesting point though but not really argument to fill the rivers with carp.

But it is a good point, I would wonder what has been said about this in Fisheries.

cheers

[fishingnut]

What about trout? spotted carp IMO very pretty yes and good to eat a native ............NO!

I doubt they would flourish if the rivers where not restocked.

BTW. That is just a name, I not really a trout fisherman except for a few random ventures to if they were removed from Australian waters I wouldn't really notice.

I must say it is an interesting point though but not really argument to fill the rivers with carp.

cheers

Not picking on you dan :laugh: Id say nearly half trout would be released as the per c&r theme.As for not flourishing if not stocked....well have seen quiet afew shows lately on people catching trout in farm streams.Can of worms I know but i am a aussie native lover and this trout crap doesnt wash with me just my 2c

[roobs]

Redfin perch used to be a big problem but now maybe not so much- perhaps this is the reason for carp as well? Gambusia i don't understand as they are ridiculously fecund and out-compete all other small native fish but i think that if they affect a commercial interest they are more highly rated?

[hooked_on_trout]

What about trout? spotted carp IMO very pretty yes and good to eat a native ............NO!

I doubt they would flourish if the rivers where not restocked.

BTW. That is just a name, I not really a trout fisherman except for a few random ventures to if they were removed from Australian waters I wouldn't really notice.

I must say it is an interesting point though but not really argument to fill the rivers with carp.

cheers

Not picking on you dan :laugh: Id say nearly half trout would be released as the per c&r theme.As for not flourishing if not stocked....well have seen quiet afew shows lately on people catching trout in farm streams.Can of worms I know but i am a aussie native lover and this trout crap doesnt wash with me just my 2c

Yes I edited that bit :whistle:

I still thin carp are really making a mess of it, it is ok for the big would if they could be be scientists to make decisions for now but in the future we will have to look after every inch of river in Australia.

As per usual it will take time for them to see the error of their ways and they will start looking after the resources a healthy river system can provide.

The people who have actually experienced a river system over run by carp are most likely far and few between and more than likely have nothing to do with the decision making process.

@Roob's: Yes Roob's I never thought of that, you could be correct.

cheers

[Little Grey Men]

Horrible stinkin mongrel things. I grew up fishing the Condamine over 35 years ago. My memories are of fishing a beautiful greenish coloured river and seeing yellas, jewfish and murray cod on just about every trip we would do. When I was in my teen years I remember catching a funny looking thing that looked a bit like an ugly gold fish. The fishing remained pretty good for a while but now if I fish that river I know I have to work real hard to find a handfull of yellas but I can easily catch bucket loads of carp. When I head out there now I fish the creeks and not the river. Still carp present but nothing like the river.

They have taken over in a big way. Snuffling their fat fat lips through the mud and making a hell of a mess while gobbling up any fish egg in there path.

The river now looks like milky tea which has a lot to do with farming practices throughout the years, but rest assured the stinkin carp have also done their part to stuff up a once great river which was a very big part of my childhood.

To the goose that first released one of these things into that river...thanks for nothing ya tool !

[hooked_on_trout]

Horrible stinkin mongrel things. I grew up fishing the Condamine over 35 years ago. My memories are of fishing a beautiful greenish coloured river and seeing yellas, jewfish and murray cod on just about every trip we would do. When I was in my teen years I remember catching a funny looking thing that looked a bit like an ugly gold fish. The fishing remained pretty good for a while but now if I fish that river I know I have to work real hard to find a handfull of yellas but I can easily catch bucket loads of carp. When I head out there now I fish the creeks and not the river. Still carp present but nothing like the river.

They have taken over in a big way. Snuffling their fat fat lips through the mud and making a hell of a mess while gobbling up any fish egg in there path.

The river now looks like milky tea which has a lot to do with farming practices throughout the years, but rest assured the stinkin carp have also done their part to stuff up a once great river which was a very big part of my childhood.

To the goose that first released one of these things into that river...thanks for nothing ya tool !

Yes thanks

Exactly what I mean, these things destroy the system completely.

Many decision makers these days would have no idea of the rivers potential.

cheers

[crazywalrus]

The problem is that the DPI was given up and deem it not possible to control them any more. This may be the case however I do not think they should change the rules. There seems to be some success with the stocking of creeks with native species so there is a chance of controlling them.

Personally I do not want a future where I am like a POM and wetting my pants when I catch a 4 kg Carp. I would rather catch a Yella or Cod. Keep the rules as they where and have a government funded stocking scheme and see if that can work.