Understanding the the National Carp Control Plan

Understanding the the National Carp Control Plan © Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW

The National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) was published on 3 November 2022, confirming the potential of the Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV3 or the carp virus) to control Australia's carp population. However, this is only the first stage of the process to consider whether to release the virus.

There are still uncertainties regarding the potential release of the virus and NCCP recommended further research and planning be carried out. Commonwealth, State and Territory governments then need to decide on whether to proceed with the NCCP.

Should our governments ultimately proceed with the NCCP, this will be one of the biggest things to happen to our environment in generations. Therefore, anglers need to take the time to understand what is in the plan and the opportunities and risks it presents.

To assist anglers understand what is in the NCCP, the Canberra Fisherman's Club published an article that conveys the contents of this complex 120 page document into plain English and with as little technical and scientific jargon as possible.

The article examines the NCCP's findings on the effectiveness of carp virus as a biocontrol, the risks associated with releasing the carp virus in Australia, and how they can be managed, and gives an overview of the NCCP's ten-year implementation strategy.

The article concludes with links to the Canberra Fisherman's Club's earlier articles on the carp virus, the NCCP, and a selection of other online resources. Read the article on the Canberra Fisherman's Club website.

The author, Anthony Heiser, is a member of the Canberra Fisherman's Club (since 2007 including 11 years on the Committee) and the Coffs Coast Fly Fishing Club. He is a committee member of the Recreational Fishing Alliance of New South Wales since 2019 and served as Secretary of the Capital Region Fishing Alliance 2013 to 2020.

Anthony has closely followed the latest developments of the NCCP since its announcement in 2016, participated in the NCCP stakeholder workshop in Canberra on 19 February 2018, and published other articles on the carp virus.