5. Carp Reduction Measures Before proceeding to examine and recommend specific site-based interventions there are some over-arching issues that also form part of this Plan. These are: • Promoting community engagement; • Addressing priority knowledge gaps; and, • Operating policy or regulatory 'levers' to assist carp control. 5.1 Promoting community engagement Under the UMDR project there is a separate Communication, Education, Participation and Awareness (CEPA) Plan. This recognises that any improvement in the condition of the UMDR and its tributaries can only occur if the associated communities are fully engaged and committed to helping to achieve the objectives. Carp are particularly abundant throughout Lake Burley Griffin, Jerrabomberra wetland, the lower reaches of the Molonglo River and the Queanbeyan River. An annual 'carp out' event around Lake Burley Griffin attracts huge interest. This year (2010), 2,049 people registered to fish and a total of 691 carp (1,256 kg) and 883 (164 kg) of Redfin were caught in the day – see Plates 17 and 18 below). Plates 17 and 18: The 2010 Canberra Carp Out held at Lake Burley Griffin. Photographs: Bill Phillips To ensure positive involvement by the community, the CEPA Plan has been carefully developed and targeted. It also takes into account the priorities recognised in this Carp Reduction Plan. Rather than repeat here all the relevant contents of the CEPA Plan it is recommended that readers consult it to identify the full range of carp-related engagement and awareness raising actions that are considered priorities. Where actions specified in the following sections contain some element of community engagement they are denoted with the superscript CE Carp reduction plan for the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach and surrounding region 43 5.2 Addressing priority knowledge gaps Knowing the problem is the first step to solving it. A significant limiting factor with the development of this Plan has been the knowledge gaps. A lack of detailed knowledge of carp distribution across the region, local habitat preferences and population dynamics has meant that 'educated' guesses have had to be made based on research findings in other locations, local knowledge and knowledge gained from historical biological survey work in the region It is vital in order to ensure the measures recommended below in Sections 5.4 are scientifically well-founded, that long-term and rigorous monitoring of the native and pest fish populations in and associated with the UMDR is undertaken. The collection of baseline data is critical to the overall success of the plan because it assists in determining if the outputs and outcomes are being achieved by providing a measure of change against the present. Further investigations across the region are also needed to help understand the ecology of carp. In particular, information is urgently needed on habitat use, breeding ‘hotspots’ and broader movement patterns, especially between habitats such as preferred breeding locations. Knowing these details will enable actions to be targeted at carp during susceptible stages of their lifecycle and this will greatly increase the chances of success (see Figure 3). In addition, there are some waterbodies in the UMDR region that are currently believed to be carp-free. The most notable are the Cotter catchment upstream of Cotter dam, and Googong Reservoir on the Queanbeyan River. There are a number of other ACT rivers where carp are currently absent. These include the Naas, Orroral and Tidbinbilla rivers, and the majority of the Gudgenby River (Lintermans 2000). It is much less expensive to keep an area carp-free than it is to try and remove carp at a later date. In some of these locations the barrier that prevents invasion by carp is obvious but for others it is not. In the Cotter and Googong cases it is the physical barrier provided by the dam wall. Should carp breach these barriers (for whatever reason) this would have significant impacts on carp management in the UMDR and surrounding region with priorities and resources for carp management having to be reviewed. A priority is to gain a better understanding of those areas where carp are not found currently and what steps are required to keep them this way. The knowledge gaps identified as priorities are presented in Table 3. Table 3: Addressing priority knowledge gaps Actions Priority Key outputs Anticipated Timeframe Potential anticipated outcomes for project completion partner(s) 1. Support the further H Reports Improved 2012 ACT PC&L analysis and publication documenting knowledge of carp University of of existing fish survey survey and distribution and Canberra data of the region and monitoring abundance. summary of findings on programs population structure and completed. age classes 2. Undertake a survey of H Reports and Improved 2015 ACT PC&L, I&I carp populations in the population model knowledge of carp NSW, region to collect up to completed. dynamics leading Universities date information about to better targeting age classes, population of management structure and habitat actions. use. Carp reduction plan for the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach and surrounding region 44 Table 3 continued. Actions Priority Key outputs Anticipated Timeframe Potential anticipated outcomes for project completion partner(s) 3. Confirm those areas H Confirmation of Improved 2011 ACT PCL, I&I where carp are not carp distribution knowledge for NSW, Uni of currently present and across the region. prioritisation of Canberra, why. Notably the Naas management Anglers and Orroral rivers and activities. parts of the Gudgenby River. 4. Identify aggregation H Documentation of Targeted 2015 ACT PCL, I&I sites, CE when spawning aggregation sites management NSW, Uni of activity occurs and what and related interventions at Canberra, are the cues or triggers information about carp breeding Anglers for breeding. spawning. ‘hotspots’. 5. Track movement M Movement patterns Improved 2015 ACT PCL, I&I patterns within and documented. management as NSW, between the movement of fish Universities management units (see between Section 5.4). management units is clarified. 6. Investigate habitat M Reports detailing Improved 2015 ACT PCL, I&I use by carp across the habitat use, targeting of NSW, region. CE preferences, habitats for carp Universities seasonal patterns control. etc. 7. Undertake carp larval H 'Hot spots' or core Improved 2015 ACT PCL, I&I sampling to locate 'hot source populations. targeting of NSW, spots' or core source habitats for carp Universities populations. control 8. Establish the role of H Role of the urban Improved 2015 ACT PCL, I&I the urban ponds and ponds and lakes as targeting of NSW, lakes as sources of carp sources of carp re- habitats for carp Universities re-infestation of the infestation control. UMDR. established and documented. 9. Investigate if there are M Studies into Improved 2015 ACT PCL, I&I carp refugia (such as possible carp targeting of NSW farm dams) from which refugia (such as control activities. re-infestations are being farm dams) sourced. completed. 10. Establish if there are M Investigations into Improved 2015 ACT PCL, winter aggregation sites, possible winter targeting of Universities such as thermal refuges, aggregation sites control activities which could be targeted. completed. CE 11. If existing or new M Studies completed Better designs for Dependant ACT PCL, I&I fishways are operated to on impacts of fishways, or on whether NSW, help intercept carp (see fishways operated altered fishway fishways are Universities Sections 4.4-7) for carp operating utilised for determine what impact interception. protocols. carp control. this has on native fish passage. 12. If intensive carp H Monitoring results Improved carp 2015 ACT PCL, I&I removal is undertaken in collected and management NSW, conjunction with native analysed. including cost Universities, fish stocking and habitat benefit analysis. Capital Region improvements in urban Fishing Alliance ponds, monitor the impact this has on carp re-infestation. Carp reduction plan for the Upper Murrumbidgee Demonstration Reach and surrounding region 45 5.3 Operating policy or regulatory 'levers' to assist carp control Also identified at a generic level are several policy or regulatory 'levers' that it is recommended be pursued. Summary information is provided below and Table 4 sets out the actions proposed. 5.3.1 Exemptions under legislation for coarse fishing tournaments Current ACT Government practice is to allow some exemptions under the Fisheries Act 2000 for organised ‘coarse’ fishing competitions on Canberra's urban lakes. Such competitions value the condition of captured fish, and they are released alive at the end of the tournament. These tournaments have often resulted in the capture and release of several tonnes of carp. Such exemptions clearly conflict with the intent of this Carp Reduction Plan. In NSW there are similar issues with it not being illegal to return carp to the waterway after capture. 5.3.2 Review of the ‘grey’ list for possibly noxious species The Strategic Approach to the Management of Ornamental Fish in Australia (NRMMC 2007) lists ‘European’ carp as a noxious species nationally. However, in the same report Koi carp (the same species as ‘European’ carp) is included on the ‘grey’ list of species “requiring further scientific/technical consideration and risk assessment”. Such a situation where the same species is listed in two different categories is clearly untenable from a management perspective, particularly when more than 70% of carp examined from Lake Burley Griffin in a genetics study exhibited Koi genetic signatures (Davis 1996; Davis et al. 1998), and yet were visually indistinguishable from normal ‘wild’ carp. The 'grey' list is currently under review, and it is recommended that Koi carp to be listed as noxious also. 5.3.3 The keeping of Koi carp Current ACT practice is to allow the keeping of Koi carp by hobbyist, including in outside ponds. This can be problematic, given that many outside ponds are adjacent to natural drainage lines, and that high rainfall events may lead to overflow and escape of Koi carp into the wild.