Carp are an invasive pest within the waterways in Australia and are a major problem not only for native aquatic fauna but also for overall water quality and river health. Arguably the worst case can be found in the Murray Darling Basin. The carp are a bottom feeding species which impacts our river systems in a number of ways, including increasing the turbidity (suspended particles in the river) which can in turn have a causal impact on the dissolved oxygen, light penetration and a suite of other water quality variables. A range of control measures have been used to try and tackle the problem of carp, including commercial fishing and harvesting, barriers to restrict movement and migration, and radio-tracking carp to identify spawning areas.
A new potential solution for the control of carp is the release of a herpesvirus (Cyprinid herpesvirus 3). The virus is highly specific to carp, so there is high confidence our native fish fauna will not be infected with this virus. In fact CSIRO have conducted over 8 years of research and found the virus does not pose a danger to 13 native species, and the virus only replicates in common carp. With that being said however, the release still presents its own difficulties and potential consequences, that may impact our native aquatic fauna indirectly. It is also acknowledged that the virus will not be a silver bullet as such, due to the potential for carp developing an "immunity" to the virus, and it will need to be used as a much larger, integrated management plan. So back to the theme of GO Green; how can you help by living a more eco-friendly lifestyle? Well, thankfully there is a great product on the market that helps tackle the issue of carp in Australia's Rivers, Charlie Carp fertiliser. If you have a green thumb and love watching your plants grow, you must give this product a try. The product stimulates root growth, improves the nutrient uptake and reduces overall plant stress. It can be used on a wide variety of garden plants* and crops, including our native flora, but each category require their own concentration/mixing rate. I have regularly used this product on my garden, both on my native plants and my veggie/herb garden with great success. There are a couple of varieties on the market, with one All Purpose Fertiliser made from 100% Carp, and the other Organic Premium Fertiliser made with carp plus seaweed extract, and better still, both are economically friendly options! The fish used in the product are harvested from Australian Rivers using either netting or electro-fishing, and as discussed above, the ethical battle of harvesting the species for use is outweighed by the damage caused to our native wildlife and river systems by the carp. For more answers to a range of queries about this product, head over to their FAQ page. *Please note for use in WA this product is not recommended for use on lawns - Charlie Carp FAQ Page "WA have very sandy soils and as such phosphorus does not "hold" well in any soil. It leaks out quickly and goes into the water systems and rivers. Other states have less sandy soils and therefore the phosphorus is retained in the soil for the plants to absorb and does not end up in the waterways. Therefore, all fertilisers for WA need to have a very low level of phosphorus to help protect the waterways and keep them clean." Further reading
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"Petition signing constitutes a means of protest at the non-confrontational end of the protest spectrum" - Jill Sheppard Australian National University
Many of my earlier short blogs have focused on being active in the industry or making a statement as a consumer, however, there are many other ways people can help with larger environmental issues. If you can't spare time to volunteer with local community groups tackling these issues, that doesn't mean you can't help, you can ... even right from your own home! One such way is by signing online petitions. You may think adding your name will not make a difference, however, people power certainly has the potential to cause major policy change both in the environment sector and in other sectors. Petitions have become increasingly popular online (e-petitions), with this platform providing rapid widespread access. A recent study by Jill Sheppard explored the world of online petitions including access, opportunity and gender. Unsurprisingly skills and voluntary experience were strong predictors of petition signing. Her findings however identified that women were more likely than men to sign and distribute petitions (both written and e-petitions), and Australians of non-English speaking backgrounds were less likely to participate in written petitions however, they were well represented in e-petitions. The overall findings led to the conclusion that e-petitions are helping to reduce the barriers of participation and their widespread popularity is going to continue to increase. Within Australia and NZ there are many non-profit and community groups leading the charge with online petitions such as the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA), The Wilderness Society WA, and Greenpeace. Each group has their chosen campaigns which the petitions generally align with, such as Plastic Free WA, Frack Free Future, Uranium Free and Renewable Energy. If any of these issues speak to you, help these groups help the environment by adding your voice to these petitions today. Is there an issue you are extremely passionate about that isn't covered by these groups? Well, thankfully the website Change.org enables anyone to get out there and start a petition. Find your voice and make a change! Further reading
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AuthorMy name is Garry and I am extremely passionate about the environment. I have completed my BSc. Conservation and Wildlife Biology with First Class Honours and have worked in the Environment sector since 2009. Archives
October 2019
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Photos used under Creative Commons from Local Food Initiative, mitchell haindfield, everyoneisgone, Montgomery County Planning Commission, Takashi(aes256), ilyayakubovich.com