Biocontrol of carp: the Australian plan does not stand up to a rational analysis of safety and efficacy.

Abstract

THE AUSTRALIAN PLAN FOR BIOCONTROL OF INVASIVE CARP USING CYPRINID HERPESVIRUS 3 Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), hereafter referred as carp, is one of the most widely cultured fish produced for food globally. It was introduced into Australia for aquaculture in the mid-nineteenth century (Lintermans, 2004). Following floods in the 1970’s, carp became abundant and widespread in many Australian waterways where it has come to comprise a large proportion of the fish fauna of these ecosystems (Koehn, 2004). To reduce carp population abundance and aid native species recovery, the Australian Government is evaluating the release of cyprinid herpesvirus 3 [CyHV-3, also known as koi herpesvirus (KHV)] presumed to be absent from Australia (NCCP, 2017). CyHV-3 emerged in the mid 1990’s and since that time has devastated carp production worldwide (Boutier et al., 2015). Due to its economic impact on aquaculture, the Word Organization for Animal Health requires notification when the virus is identified.