84 replies to this topic

[MilkyJoe]

Found a beautiful koi in a dam in my area, this dam flows onto native forest so I thought I'd do my bit for the environment. =P

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Edited by MilkyJoe, 18 September 2011 - 03:36 PM.

[ice]

Nice one dude!

[Riggers]

Nice one mate, I think what we need to start doing is an online log here somewhere and whenever someone catches or spots feral koi/carp they can put a time date and place and possibly a pic. That way it's a collaborative log book that can later be used as part of an action plan that can be put forward to local councils.. Would the committee be cool with that?

Cheers
Nick

[Scales]

So are you guys capture/keep, capture/release or capture/kill on these missions?

Ide be keen to hook up for a capture/keep session. Pm me info on when your going out next

[extend]

Some of those fish are actually quite good Koi colour variety's. Milky joes catch looks like an utsuri of some kind.

[Riggers]

So far it's been capture and remove of these fish. The 2 I currently have are in a pond and when other animals like tadpoles and smaller goldfish were placed in with them they were wiped out within a matter of days... Imagine what there doing to our natives...
Now I have a lot more time on my hands (or lack of hands) I will finish the action plan I have been writing up for the local council, i will post a copy on here as well but if anyone has any ideas they would like put forward to the council I'd be happy to add them in as well

Cheers
Nick

[CCA001]

This is such a great idea m8 well done.

I know off a business who would be happy to help you out in this venture

Talk to you soon and take care.

If ya need any help you have my number.

[klass]

If only I could "like posts" hah.. Great to see action taking place, good on ya mate.

[Riggers]

Thanks for your support guys

Adam I'll catch up with ya soon buddy

[Lachy]

Im just thinking out loud here, but i think a contact list that people can place themselves on when they have the means to take in feral fish
so when they are found they can go to a caring home, i would hate to see a bundle of fish put down for being somewhere that they didn't choose to be.

(i no that the LFS take in fish, but my apologies if something like this is already in place as well)

Or possibly a fish detention centre for all these out of country fish refugees

Id also love to get some perth native breeding programs down so that these man made lakes can be stocked with something a bit more natural

Lachy

[Riggers]

thats a great idea Lachy, not only could we try and remove the problem but we can also think about a sustainable solution for native fish and waterlife..

We could start by working out a plan for a specific waterway or body of water and work out the best ways to return it to a more native friendly environment. This is what im thinking so far,

1. which area could be a good start point?
2. what is native to that area and what can work well with what is all ready there
3. ways of removal of fish
4. restocking
5. educating local residents

any thoughts are more than welcome

[computerlog]

Just curious, if your removing these noxious species to protect native species. Which native species exactly are you protecting besides tadpoles?

Also the removal of noxious species from one location to another is translocation and isn't really considered any better, if the true aim is preserving native species they should be destroyed (not that I'm for that).

Not having a go just interested to know more. As much as they shouldn't be there I personally enjoy seeing koi/goldfish/yabbies in the local ponds (not the river) since they're for the most part the only fish/inverts to see sans gambusia.

Edited by computerlog, 19 October 2011 - 05:38 AM.

[werdna]

Relocation to a pond in someones backyard. Not to another river somewhere.

[computerlog]

Yes I realize that but it is still translocation, if the goal is preserving natives they should be destroyed.

Would it not be the same as with redfin perch?

[ice]

People enjoy keeping koi/goldfish as ornamental fish, redfin aren’t much good for that unless you put them in an aquarium. No point killing an innocent fish when it can still live a full life in captivity as some ones pet. I know where you're coming from but carp in WA aren’t quite as prolific as redfin and I don’t think a kill upon removal approach is really necessary.

[werdna]

How is moving them to a backyard pond not helping native species?
If they are no longer in the wild, they are no longer threatening native fish species.

[computerlog]

I’m not saying it’s not helping protect natives, I agree that removing them to a backyard pond would be helping. What I’m saying is that if the true purpose of removing them was to protect natives then they would be destroyed.

To me this just looks like an attempt to have a fish and keep some for the pond under the guise of “protecting our natives.”

As I said I’m not having a go I’d much rather they went to a pond than were destroyed.

What native species would be found in the areas these koi/goldfish are being removed from?

[ice]

What's wrong with having a fish and removing the natives? Any number of native species of fish, frogs and crustaceans would be sharing the water ways with the carp. Doesn't really matter which I don't think?

[Juls]

Long term solution is really to destroy any fish that cannot be properly rehomed, Koi need 1000L+ pond for maybe 2. Not many people can take on these monsters.
I understand what people are saying, it's not the fishes fault, but what are you going to do with them when there is no one left to take them? It's illegal to let them back in the wild.

Any plans to work on feral fish removal should include Gambusia and Redfin Perch, We should also be pushing to stop them introducing trout juveniles every year.

The fish that are "effected" by these non native species that are found right throughout lower western Australia from northern perth right through to albany are.

Galaxiella nigrostriata - restricted
Galaxias maculatus
Galaxiella munda
Galaxias truttaceus - endangered
Galaxias occidentalis
Tandanus bostocki
Bostockia porosa
Leiopotherapon unicolor
Nannatherina balstoni
Edelia vittata
Lepidogalaxias salamandroides - Restricted.
Cherax cainii
Cherax tenuimanus - Restriced/Endangered
Afurcagobius suppositus
Palaemonetes australis
Pseudogobius olorum
Leptatherina wallacei
Geotria australis

Thats just off the top of my head, there is probably more, some are semi salt but often found 100's of km inland.

Any fish that is not native to it's own range, is FERAL and should be eradicated to ensure our local species survival.

it's very disapointing to see such ignorance regarding our local species, just because you have never heard of them doesn't mean they are not there.

A majority can never be seen in daylight hours, all you see in daylight hours is usually gambusia or koi/carp, trout or redfin perch. Everything else is hiding until nightfall.

Good on you Joe for ripping that fella out of the water, it's sad however that the legality of such a action is a bit, iffy.

Juls.

Edited by Juls, 19 October 2011 - 06:20 PM.

[computerlog]

Sorry ice missed your earlier post.

When you say no point in killing an innocent fish when it can still live a full life in captivity. What about the quality of life? Based on this photo it would it not have been more humane to kill these fish? Seems like some really large fish in a fairly small pond, which most likely weren't posing any threat to native species and should have just been left where they were.



Not sure what you mean about what's wrong with having a fish and removing some natives? I don't see anything wrong with having a fish and removing koi/goldfish. I do have an issue with it being justified as being done to protect natives when it's not. Especially when others may enjoy seeing these feral fish in a pond which would otherwise be devoid of fish.

Ah but for the most part they're not. As have been shown in the relatively few studies on introduced fish in WA, the majority of places where koi/goldfish have been found are "typically devoid of habitat suitable for native fish". Impact on native crustaceans? Should be worrying about yabbies not koi. Not too sure about tadpoles have yet to read any studies showing koi/goldfish impacting on frog populations so can't comment in that area.

If there is genuine concern for the protecting of native species from feral fish, then gambusia, redfin and trout should be the target since they have been shown to have had the largest impact native fish populations.

Edited by computerlog, 19 October 2011 - 06:31 PM.