A NEW “Carp Loves 20°C” campaign will allow community members to log their carp sightings in the upper Murrumbidgee River catchment area through the FeralFishScan website.

“Carp sightings logged on the FeralFishScan website will go into a draw to win a range of fantastic prizes,” Dorte Ekelund, Director-General of the Environment and Planning Directorate said.

“As the carp breeding season starts, the Carp Loves 20°C campaign seeks to raise community awareness of the impact carp and other feral fish have on our waterways. It also aims to improve knowledge of carp distribution, movements and breeding hotspots in the upper Murrumbidgee River catchment area.

“The name of the campaign comes from carp’s tendency to display breeding behaviour when water temperature starts to warm to around 20°C.

“Carp are one of the most invasive and damaging pests of our freshwater ecosystems. A single female carp can lay up to 1 million eggs per year. They not only threaten native fish species but also river health.”

“This collaboration with the community will help us build a stronger picture of where carp are currently located and will supply us with valuable data to help control them.”

A competition is running from Thursday, 8th October – Monday, 7th December 2015

For further details visit: act.waterwatch.org.au

[Photo by THX0477, attribution licence.]