Journal
MARINE AND FRESHWATER RESEARCH
Volume 65, Issue 6, Pages 538-550Publisher
CSIRO PUBLISHING
DOI: 10.1071/MF13117
Keywords
Australia; CarpSim; IPM; Lachlan River; Murray-Darling River basin; pest fish
Funding
- Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
- Lachlan Catchment Management Authority
- NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries
Ask authors/readers for more resources
To evaluate strategies within a carp-control plan, we developed a meta-population model of the geographic arrangement, biological connections and 'unfished' stock structure of the pest population of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in a large river catchment. The model was tuned to recent observations of biomass. Published data were used to estimate sampling biases and yield from available carp-control tools. We simulated proposed carp-removal activities and also the potential effects of biological-control options; cyprinid herpesvirus-3 (CHV-3) and daughterless-carp gene technology. Outputs compared the population abundance before carp control (before 2009) and after a similar to 70-year period of sustained management. Models suggest that the proposed levels of carp removal may reduce biomass by similar to 50%. Although substantial, this control level may not be sufficient to reduce carp biomass densities below thresholds associated with ecological damage. In contrast, a CHV-3 bio-control program has potential to reduce carp biomass densities to, or exceeding, target levels, if mortality rates exceed 30% and broad-scale outbreaks occur in at least 40% of years, despite the likely development of resistance. A synergistic bio-control program using CHV-3, followed by a gene technology-based sex-ratio distortion program, is potentially the most effective strategy for reducing carp biomass by over 90% in the long term.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available