BigDog23

Sadly i have to agree with you on the mismanagement of the rivers. Cotton growing plays a big part in this. That said Carp are a factor in the porr state of the rivers and native fish populations. Restoring health to our rivers of course needs a multifaceted approach. i think this virus is a tool that can provide a large benefit and while carp are by no means the sole reason for muddy waters i do believe they contribute. As for the comparisons to clear waters in other areas i'm really not sure, They're all very different ecological environments. I think the relief for our native species would be great, it may allow us to re-establish populations of tandanus tandanus catfish in areas they are now extinct, out competed by Carp. I

Hey Cyborx, sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I don't have any data on water temps but this area at the moment just comeing into the middle of winter in the next 3 weeks or so we're having maximums daily temps around 15 degrees celsius and minimum around 5. At the coldest here it'll be 0 - 12. I'm guessing from what you've said on temps the virus woud be best released in late summer/autumn. march - April would probably work well in this area.

Hey guys, just signed up to be able to post this, i've read this forum for a few years seeing how you guys go abaout your carp fishing and techniques that might work over here. I'm not here to try and change your minds but just thought an Australian perspective may give some balance. I'm mid 30's have grown up fishing inland in the murray darling basin. Caught more carp than i could ever count, occasionally a golden perch (also known as yellowbellly or callop) never caught a Murray cod in my 25 years of fishing and native catfish (tandanus tandanus) are extinct in this part of the world now. I enjoy catching carp, however it is sad to see the river in it's current state. Murray Cod, a species who grow to well over a metre are scare. Golden perch are surviving but by no means thriving. Carp are believed to be 80 - 90% of the total biomass in the river, that's a huge amount in 40 odd years. Carp have been here a lot longer but flooding in the 70's is what led to their massive spread in range. As much as i enjoy catching carp, seeing their numbers being significantly reduced by this virus would be a huge positive for australia. restocking the catfish and allowing golden perch and Murray cod to recover to me is a great outcome. Carp will still be around, there will never be 100% wipe out, i assume those fish that are resistant to the virus would be more likely to grow larger, however i expect the laws regarding returning them to the water alive will remain in place. I note that Aussie fisherman have got a bad name in this forum, it's to be expected with Aussie attitudes to carp on a carp forum, but to my mind w're being short changed. Catch and release fishing has grown remarkably, very few murray cod are taken for the plate now with most being treated as well as you guys treat your carp. Perch are still often taken for the table but not in the quantities they once were, greed has diminished and sustainability is more prescient in the minds of our fisherman than ever before. Personally I agree with the carp herpes virus being released in australia. I'd love to see the day when Aussies are travelling to the UK for that trophy shot with a 30+ carp, and uk fisherman go home with stopries of the 110cm+ cod that weighed as much as their wife. I also note our countries responsibility to keep the virus contained to our shores, a responsibility somewhat shared with foreign travellers heading home. If any country can manage this it's australia with our relative isolation. In closing, i guess if anything don't just see this a carp issue, see it as an environmental issue. If you end up on the other side of the argument to me thats fine, i just think it's important to see it through the right lense. and as an aside the earlier post about Australia'a record with introduced species is a touch misleading. Many of those species were released before Australian federation by British citizens in British colonies (including rabbits, foxes and carp). I'm not looking to start a big argument here as we have a ;largely shared history and ahve made probably just as many huge mistakes ourselves. For those interested in successful biological controls in Australia, myxomatosis, calicivirus and the prickly pear moth are the success stories we've had. The Cane Toad probably the most disastrous. sorry for the long winded post, just hoping to add to the discussion from what I imagine is a very different perspective to most on this site