Invasive Animals CRC

10.U.8 Carp control in the Logan-Albert catchment

Carp are a well established invasive fish across large regions of Australia. They have a detrimental impact on local habitats, aquatic species and water quality. The greatest concentrations of carp are found in the Murray Darling Basin, however the massive scale of the system creates difficulties for the effective management of pest species.

The Albert and Logan Rivers are located in South-east Queensland between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. There is concern about the aquatic health and sediment load carried by the Logan-Albert Rivers to Moreton Bay. Carp are potential contributors to these problemsand therefore the impacts of carp on water quality and turbidity are of concern.

The Logan-Albert system is large enough to demonstrate a substantial impact on carp control in Australia, but also small enough for effects of control measures to be measurable in the course of the project. A range of different habitats are invaded by carp in the Logan-Albert catchment, including lowland slow flowing river reaches, lagoons, dams and weir pools, wetlands, middle reaches and small tributary and creek systems. This broad range ofhabitats may require different carp management methods, thus,outcomes from this catchment should be widely applicable to other river systems.

One of the important features of this site is the strong community support for eradication of carp in the catchment. This enables access for research purposes to numerous private properties in the catchment. Strong community support for carp control also exists in the McIntyre and Balonne Rivers where the impact of carp fishing competitions will be evaluated. In these regions, the Queensland Murray Darling Committee (QMDC) and local fishing groups work together in running carp competitions in order to remove carp, promote the issue and raise money for restocking native fish species.

The objectives of this demonstration site are to investigate the role of the community in the effective management of invasive species, and to demonstrate the feasibility of eradicating or managing an established invasive fish species in a catchment system using new and current technologies. The results of the project will include best practice guidelines that can be applied in a range of habitats in other waterways by various fisheries and community groups.

The research will can be divided into four streams:

A. Community involvement and dialogue

B. Cost effectiveness of control technologies

C. Trialling new and innovative control technologies

D. Development of best practice management

The proposed program will explore a range of targeted and environmentally friendly pest fish control measures, with the goal of controlling or even eliminating pest fish throughout an entire catchment. Control measures will involve both low tech and high tech solutions and strong community participation. Each of these will be comprehensively tested and evaluated under field conditions, leading to a best practice guide that highlights methods most appropriate to different habitats and circumstances. Methods proven to be successful will lead to marketing opportunities for CRC partners and also be available for take-up in other catchments in Australia and elsewhere.