Project number: 2016-158
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $37,076.05
Principal Investigator: Luiz G. Silva
Organisation: Charles Sturt University (CSU) Bathurst
Project start/end date: 11 Jun 2017 - 10 Aug 2017
Contact:
FRDC

Need

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.

Objectives

1. Conduct a review of scientific and practical methods used worldwide to harvest large quantities of dead fish from waterways during mortality events.
2. Produce a report summarizing methods used, level of efficiency and effectiveness, strengths and limitations of potential carp clean-up methods, and advise on options most suitable for application in an Australian context for the removal of carp biomass from rivers, lakes, impoundments and wetlands.
3. Inform development of suitable clean-up strategy for different habitat types where carp virus might be released.
4. Provide inputs for other project from FRDC developing activities related to the NCCP, such as project 2016-132 (Benefit Cost Analysis).
5. Discuss with the Scientific Advisory Group (SAG) of the NCCP the merit of a trial to test clean-up strategies.

Final report

ISBN: 978-1-86-467312-8
Authors: Luiz G.M. Silva Keith Bell and Lee J. Baumgartner
Final Report • 2019-11-05 • 3.43 MB
2016-158-DLD.pdf

Summary

This study was undertaken by Charles Sturt University. Although there is a considerable knowledge gap in understanding the social-economic and environmental impacts of a fish kill, it is essential to recognise the risks associated with these events – especially water quality. In order to minimize these risks, clean-up procedures can be developed to remove excess of fish carcasses from waterways after a mortality event. However, clean-up is not a trivial task and may be dependent on various factors. Practical and science-based experiences on the removal of dead fish from waterways are extant worldwide, but the information is not systematised, when available. Therefore, this project aims to conduct a systematic review of methods and procedures adopted worldwide to remove fish carcases during large mortality events. 

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