The Carp story mirrors to some extent the one I heard about how Tilapia
came to be released around Brisbane. More or ;less in retaliation for
official threats to confiscate people's pet Cichlids. The rest is history.
I am very concerned that a similar mentality could produce a release of PNG
Rainbows into native streams if there is a decision to confiscate existing
stocks.
Regards,
Bruce.
bhansen at ozemail.com.au
----------
> From: Nick Thorne <nick at nativefish.asn.au>
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: Re: [RML] Banning all PNG fish
> Date: Monday, 15 September 1997 19:43
>
> Hi Bruce,
>
> You wrote:
> > I was not aware that the Carp phenomenon was only perpetuated as
recently
> > as the 1960's and would appreciate some references to read further if
> > possible.
>
> There is a page on the NFA web site that includes a bit about the history
> of carp last century. IIRC the URL is
> http://www.nativefish.asn.au/exotics.html If that is not right look at
> http://www.nativfish.asn.au/fish.html as there is a link to the correct
> page there. (I am not at the moment on my own computer so I am doing this
> from memory.)
>
> What happened in the sixties was this. Someone (probably illegally)
> imported a number of fertile carp ova, probably from Germany, with a view
> to establishing a commercial fish farm in Victoria. When it became known
> to fisheries that this had occurred, by which time many thousands of fish
> were in earthen dams on the person's property, fisheries decided that
they
> had to act. Now instead of offering to buy the individual out and then
> destroying the fish (and so saving the whole country a considerable
amount
> of trouble) Victorian Fisheries arrived on his doorstep and ordered him
to
> destroy the fish, offering him no compensation. This jackboot approach
> prompted him not to obey but instead to transfer fish to a large number
of
> farm dams and he went around placing carp in various streams. The rest
as
> they say is history.
>
> Carp are still migrating in this country into new areas and are, often
> incorrectly in my opinion, generally blamed for all ills in our inland
> waterways. In some waters, there appears to be a stabilisation of carp
> numbers and fish like Murray cod are now feeding on carp. However, the
> overall degradation of many of our streams is allowing carp to cause
> considerable damage.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Nick
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Nick Thorne nick at nativefish.asn.au
>
> Native Fish Australia http://www.nativefish.asn.au
>