On the 28th January 1995 an angler, Mr Graeme Porter, found the remains of an unusual fish that was being eaten by a sea eagle on the edge of Lake Crescent. He promptly gathered up the carcass and took it to the Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) for identification. The fish was confirmed as a common carp (Cyprinus carpio), which was presumed absent in Tasmania. Electrofishing surveys found that numbers of carp were present in Lake Crescent, and a few weeks later they were also confirmed to be established in Lake Sorell.

Thanks to Graeme’s proactive approach, immediate action was able to be taken, and the carp were contained to the two lakes. This stopped carp from spreading where once established in other waterways eradication was most likely impossible.

Fast forward to 2023, and after an intensive 28 year program and the removal of 49,301 carp from the two lakes, functional eradication from Tasmania was declared! The last carp in Lake Crescent was caught in 2007 while the last carp in Lake Sorell was caught in 2022. Functional eradication means that the few, if any remaining carp in Lake Sorell are unable to breed.

We encourage anglers to be like Graeme Porter and quickly report any unusual fish sightings to the IFS, and to either collect a specimen or take a photo of the fish.