Since the carp virus causes death within days to weeks of infection, the likely build-up of dead carp possess a potential hazard to water quality and aesthetic value of river ecosystems and human uses including drinking water, tourism and infrastructure needed to deliver public services. Therefore, the development of an effective strategy to deliver post-release clean-up activities will be critical to success. However, there is a need to establish a baseline of methods which would significantly contribute to the achievement of a successful clean-up procedure. The development of a plan to harvest large carp biomass from waterways will require strong methodological/practical basis to support and provide well-informed decisions for the different sectors involved on future clean-up activities.
The need for strong methodological basis drives the development of this project. Practical and science-based experiences on removal of dead fish from waterways are extant worldwide, but the information is not systematized. Certainly, various organizations amongst universities, fisheries (commercial/artisanal) and aquaculture as well as hydro and irrigation industries along the world have dealt with large mortality of fish requiring immediate action to reduce the likelihood of impacts on freshwater systems. Unfortunately, the methods/procedures used by them when necessary is not available, in most cases, in a systematized way. It is important to systematize this information and assess strengths and weaknesses of clean-up activities already conducted in order to develop a strong plan to be applied within the NCCP.