CARP AUSTRALIA RESOURCE PROJECT
The Carp Australia Resource Project (C.A.R.P.) is an information platform where everyday Australians can, for the first time, learn about the species' impressive social and economic potential — and how responsibly harnessing it could benefit Australia for decades to come.
We will address a wide range of topics, including:
Setting the Record Straight,
Carp are often blamed for the poor state of our waterways. It’s critical to understand that other factors like pollution, habitat destruction, river regulation, Undershot weirs, Coldwater pollution and over-extraction have had devastating effects on our waterways and native fish numbers over decades.
While carp may in some locations make up 80% of the biomass, they are not the cause of the 20% native fish biomass — they are a symptom of the same underlying problems.
If we want to restore our rivers, we must address the root causes — not scapegoat a single species.
Unlocking Carp's True Potential
Around the world — even in countries where carp are classified as invasive — people have learned to embrace the carp’s enormous value as a food source and a respected sportfish. They are now reaping the social, environmental, and economic rewards of this billion-dollar industry. Naysayers, Koi Herpes virus advocates and other financial beneficiaries love to compare carp with rabbits and want to make sure that the species is viewed by the public as nothing more than a worthless pest. What they do not want you to know is that Carp is a billion-dollar industry creating thousands of jobs in the Food, tourism, fishing tackle and bait industries that caters to the millions of social and sport anglers around the world.
Australia has incredible potential and a unique opportunity to do the same.
How You Can Help:
We invite everyone — the public, scientists, environmentalists, businesses, journalists, and others — to get involved.
C.A.R.P. currently receives no government funding, unlike the National Carp Control Plan and others who have received many millions of dollars to promote the virus release. We rely on public support to build momentum for a smarter, safer, and more productive path forward.
Ways you can help:
Together, we can tell the truth — and create a better outcome for our rivers, native fish, communities, and economy.
We will address a wide range of topics, including:
- Basic facts about carp.
- Why Australians should support alternative, sustainable carp management instead of the government's controversial and risky plan to release the Koi Herpes Virus (KHV) into our rivers, dams, and water supplies — not just in the Murray–Darling Basin, but across the country.
- How our comprehensive plan — including initiatives like Carp Resource Centres — aims to reduce excessive carp biomass while restoring habitats and boosting native fish populations.
- Utilising the incredible potential of carp as sportfish as well as the various internationally recognised sport angling styles associated with it.
Setting the Record Straight,
Carp are often blamed for the poor state of our waterways. It’s critical to understand that other factors like pollution, habitat destruction, river regulation, Undershot weirs, Coldwater pollution and over-extraction have had devastating effects on our waterways and native fish numbers over decades.
While carp may in some locations make up 80% of the biomass, they are not the cause of the 20% native fish biomass — they are a symptom of the same underlying problems.
If we want to restore our rivers, we must address the root causes — not scapegoat a single species.
Unlocking Carp's True Potential
Around the world — even in countries where carp are classified as invasive — people have learned to embrace the carp’s enormous value as a food source and a respected sportfish. They are now reaping the social, environmental, and economic rewards of this billion-dollar industry. Naysayers, Koi Herpes virus advocates and other financial beneficiaries love to compare carp with rabbits and want to make sure that the species is viewed by the public as nothing more than a worthless pest. What they do not want you to know is that Carp is a billion-dollar industry creating thousands of jobs in the Food, tourism, fishing tackle and bait industries that caters to the millions of social and sport anglers around the world.
Australia has incredible potential and a unique opportunity to do the same.
How You Can Help:
We invite everyone — the public, scientists, environmentalists, businesses, journalists, and others — to get involved.
C.A.R.P. currently receives no government funding, unlike the National Carp Control Plan and others who have received many millions of dollars to promote the virus release. We rely on public support to build momentum for a smarter, safer, and more productive path forward.
Ways you can help:
- Share this page and spread the word on social media.
- Contact your local MP to express your concerns about the virus release and to make them aware of this responsible, safe and productive alternative.
- Volunteer your skills — including media, marketing, journalism, science, IT, and printing.
Together, we can tell the truth — and create a better outcome for our rivers, native fish, communities, and economy.