While scientists continue to discuss the possibilities of releasing a type of herpes virus to control the over-population of common carp in local river systems, locals in Lachlan Shire have taken part in a unique opportunity to do their bit.

As a way to help battle the ongoing carp issue in local rivers and to keep the kids occupied over school holidays, Lachlan Shire locals took part in a competition in early October facilitated by the local council and the Lachlan and Western Regional Services group.

 Open only to the youth of the district, the competition ran over two days and offered some great prizes in different age groups.

Introduced to Australia over 100 years ago, carp have become the most dominant large-bodied fish in the Murray-Darling Basin making up to 80-90 per cent of fish biomass.

The Lachlan competition attracted many keen anglers with the winning group of Jack and Joe Fitzgerald managing to reel in just shy of 70kg of carp, taking out the prize of most caught by weight.

All carp were disposed of after being weighed and measured at the Lachlan and Western Services group office.

Coincidentally, carp control was also in the news on a national level with experts frustrated at the delayed control efforts of what has been described as one of the worst introduced pest species in Australia, causing significant social, environmental and economic impacts.

On 1 May 2016, the Australian Government announced $15.2 million in funding to investigate the feasibility of the Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (carp virus) as a biological control agent for common carp to improve water quality in waterways across Australia.

Since then, the timeline has been delayed with a 12 month extension granted in 2018 and other delays being blamed on the Covid-19 pandemic. Original plans had the virus being released in 2018, but, five years after it was meant to start, federal and state government ministers have now announced that nothing is going to happen until more research is done.

The six-year study, completed last year cost $10.4 million.

The Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 was first identified following a large outbreak at a carp farm in Germany in 1997, which was followed by similar outbreaks in the US and Israel the following year. Infected fish were found blotched white, with patches of bleeding skin, necrosis or rotting of the gills, and showing signs of lethargy, among other symptoms.

This week, Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer, Bertie Hennecke, says that a final decision on releasing the virus is unlikely to materialise for several more years. Importantly, this would include a priority of clarifying any adverse effects of the virus on other fish species and its effectiveness in killing carp.

However, former national carp task force member a Peter Teakle told ABC reporters it was time for action, not more research.

"We could be researching this issue for another 10 years and at the end of the day there would still be nothing done, just money put to something that doesn't come to fruition," he said.

Mr Teakle said the floods of the last few years were a "golden opportunity" to release the virus.

But while government's continue to debate and research, the youth of Lachlan Shire can be proud they have removed a tiny bit of the carp problem and had a great time doing it!