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Further to this discussion see the below for concerns raised by scientists from the School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, about the proposed release of KHV in Australia. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313875413_Biocontrol_of_common_carp_in_Australia_poses_risks_to_biosecurity

Serious concerns have been raised about the threat to natives and water supply which will result from thousands of tonnes of rotting fish. Picking it all up before it results in disaster is a fantasy. This will be an ecological disaster if it goes ahead, possibly the biggest in Australian history. It's one thing introducing a virus into rabbits where they can rot away and be scavenged on land. It's quite another doing it to fish where they rot in inaccessible waterways on which the community and native wildlife depends. Oxygen levels will fall rapidly killing many species and resulting in stagnant hazardous waterways. It's now a politicized issue but scientists are becoming increasingly concerned. Not sure if any politicians will want to be connected to this scheme in case it results in said disaster, but then, we are talking about politicians here.

Yes I'm aware it is already in the UK. What I'm saying is that you need a massive reservoir of infection in Australia, which is what will happen if it is released on a large scale there

BigDog23 you seem to be a victim of the dribble which has been fed to the australian public for decades regarding the impact of carp. Carp are easy to blame for the sad state of australian freshwater species. The truth is that decades of mismanagement of waterways has resulted in what you see now. Carp are an adaptive species which can easily survive the poor conditions created by erosion, pollution and deliberate alteration of natural flows, and that is why they have flourished. They have nothing to do with muddy water, or how do you explain the crystal clear lakes in Europe and other places like south africa and america which are full of carp? When the Koi Herpes Virus is released as planned in 2018 millions of of dead carp will quickly overwhelm the meagre freshwater supplies, oxygen levels will fall rapidly under the influence of rotting fish and native species will be wiped out. The water will quickly become unfit for any domestic use. The puny $15 million allocated to the cleanup will come nowhere close to what is needed. After about a week dead fish sink to the bottom and then it will be too late. The rumors of mobilizing locals to pick up putrefying rotting fish carcasses is a fantastical dream. The KHV is highly virulent and spreads very quickly. Mortaility is within one week. I don't think the release of a new organism into waterways is the solution. They tried it with Myxamatosis in rabbits and it has not worked. They tried it with cane toads to control the native cane beetle and it has been a catastrophe. Carp has been in australia for 150 years and is now deeply entrenched in the local eco-system. As you say it makes up most of the biomass. What will the effect on wildlife (birds, other predatory fish species, animals) be if a well-established species is removed? No research has been done, no projections are available. In addition to all that, if the virus escapes to Europe the effect on the billion dollar carp fishing industry will be calamitous. And let's not forget Asia where carp is a major food source. If KHV becomes widespread in Australian freshwater as planned the likelihood for this happening becomes much more substantial.

Wow. Just wow. Thanks for the support guys.

It doesn't have many signatures as it's only a few days old. I think opposition world-wide will have a much bigger impact than australian signatures only. They need to realise this is a global issue, as this virus has the potential to cause havoc in many other countries, and it could be triggered by their ignorant actions. More than that other countries may also consider introducing KHV if it is done here, thereby magnifying the potential for disaster in the UK and Europe. I have a background in biology and epiemiology and a good understanding of the mechanisms behind global epidemics. The Avian flu which started in Asia is not dissimilar. It only takes one infected individual on a plane to cause an escalation, and soon you have a pandemic.

I know but it does provide us a with voice, and some form of unification. How else can we unite behind this cause? Imagine we can get 10000 signatures behind this.. at the very least it will create an awareness that this is more than a one-sided issue, and the outcome might be much better than that. It literally takes seconds to sign, please guys help us out.

All interesting info. And irrelevant. The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing This is about our sport, this is about your fellow angler brothers reaching out to you from the other side of the world. Please sign & comment, if the powers that be see there is substantial opposition and there are other potential implications they may reconsider.

A very dangerous virus is planned to be released in all Australian freshwater waterways. If this escapes the country (in a travelling anglers damp gear for example) it could destroy the species in many countries around the world. There are many other concerns with this idea which have not been considered! Please help by signing the petition below https://www.change.org/p/barnaby-joyce-barnaby-joyce-don-t-release-a-virus-into-australian-rivers?recruiter=39268449&utm_source=petitions_show_components_action_panel_wrapper&utm_medium=copylink