The Mitchell River has been the scene of its very own fish kill with more than a tonne of dead carp removed last week.
Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) chief executive officer, Travis Dowling, said his organisation was notified by East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority last Tuesday and the clean up began on Wednesday, continuing late in the week.
“Our contractors removed 350 kilograms of dead carp on Wednesday and then a further 650 on Thursday and we expect more to come,” Mr Dowling said.
The carp are believed to be dying due to high levels of salt water in the Lower Mitchell, primarily due to low flows in drought conditions.
Carp are large freshwater fish native to Central Asia and viewed as a significant pest causing degradation of Australia’s aquatic ecosystems.
According to a post on the Victorian Fisheries Authority Facebook page, fisheries contractors removed the dead carp between the Butter Factory and Picnic Point Apple orchard.
Rob Healey, a member of the Wy Yung and Ensay Angling clubs, is disgusted carp were allowed to float in the river for days saying they should have been removed immediately.
“They were first noticed on Sunday in the Port of Bairnsdale, birds would have been feasting on the dead fish and carrying carp eggs all across our East Gippsland Lakes system,” Mr Healey said.
“They’ll ruin the system.”
Mr Dowling said the carp were taken to the Bairnsdale tip and buried.
“It’s not a blackwater event, in terms of oxygen and pH, the levels are fine. It’s just the high salt levels affecting the fish.
“We want to get the dead carp out so that local community is not caused discomfort by the rot and smell.”
Mr. Dowling said the VFA encouraged the public to bury dead carp or if they found large quantities to contact the VFA which would then organise contractors to clean up.
