The Carp Crisis in Australian Rivers | Anthony Forster, VFA

Anthony Forster from the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) delivers a powerful presentation on the destructive impact of European carp on Australian waterways. Speaking at this year’s Murray Codference, Anthony explains how carp have dominated rivers, lakes, and wetlands across eastern Australia since their invasion in the 1960s.

He highlights the massive scale of the problem, with carp numbers now 30 times higher than previously recorded in the Murray-Darling Basin. Their bottom-feeding habits stir up sediment, muddying water and destroying aquatic vegetation. Carp outcompete native fish, undermine riverbanks, and compromise water quality, threatening the recovery of important species like Murray cod, golden perch, silver perch, and Macquarie perch.

Anthony reviews the long history of research into controlling carp, noting nearly 50 years of study including the National Carp Control Program and the exploration of a carp herpes virus. This virus, not yet present in Australia, has the potential to reduce carp populations by up to 80 percent, offering a transformative opportunity to restore rivers and ecosystems.

He also explains the limitations of current control methods such as netting, electrofishing, and commercial fishing. These strategies only provide local and short-term solutions because carp can quickly reproduce and spread into new waterways. Anthony emphasizes the urgent need for national decision-making to implement virus trials, coordinated threat abatement plans, and community involvement.

The presentation also highlights the Carpe Diem initiative, led by the VFA, which aims to raise awareness, engage communities, and develop a national coalition of support for carp control. By reducing carp numbers below critical thresholds, native fish populations can recover, aquatic ecosystems can regenerate, and investments in habitat restoration, fishways, and stocking programs can achieve their full potential.

Anthony stresses that eradicating carp completely is not viable across the Murray-Darling Basin. The goal is to manage their numbers below an impact threshold, allowing native fisheries to rebuild. He calls on the federal government, waterway users, fishers, and local communities to support urgent action to combat carp and protect Australia’s rivers for future generations.

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