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Carp Gone! Tasmania Lakes Restored After 28-Year Fight
21 Aug
Summary
- Carp eradication took 28 years and removed nearly 50,000 invasive fish.
- Water clarity and native plants have returned, boosting trout populations.
- The successful campaign offers hope for other freshwater conservation efforts.
After a persistent 28-year eradication initiative, common carp have been officially declared functionally eliminated from Tasmania's Lake Sorell and Lake Crescent. This significant conservation success involved the removal of 49,301 invasive fish, with 41,504 taken from Lake Sorell and 7,797 from Lake Crescent. The invasive bottom-feeding carp had severely degraded the lakes' ecosystems.
Their removal has led to a dramatic transformation. Water clarity has vastly improved, native aquatic plants have re-established in submerged areas, and wild brown trout populations have rebounded. This recovery has revitalized the lakes as crucial recreational fisheries for anglers seeking prized brown trout.
The eradication effort, managed by the Tasmanian Inland Fisheries Service (IFS), employed innovative methods such as radio-tracking "Judas fish" and specialized netting to prevent carp spawning. The successful clearing of Lake Crescent by 2009 paved the way for intense focus on the larger Lake Sorell.
Monitoring confirmed no successful juvenile carp production in Lake Sorell after 2013. The final carp capture occurred in November 2022, with extensive surveys in March 2025 finding no trace of the invasive species. This achievement underscores the possibility of removing invasive fish from large freshwater bodies through sustained effort.
