The big fish that didn't get away
Date: 22 August 2008
When the Department of Conservation (DOC) were told that a big carp had washed up on Te Mata Beach they were immediately concerned that koi carp had spread to the Peninsula. However closer inspection revealed the fish was actually a large grass carp.
Grass carp found washed up on
Te Mata beach
Grass carp have been released under permit at some sites in northern New Zealand for the biological control of aquatic weeds in freshwater drains, ponds and lakes. They are herbivores that eat a wide variety of aquatic plants but do not breed under New Zealand conditions. Grass carp are native to China where they have been known to grow over one metre in length and up to 50kg in weight. This specimen was a bit smaller but still impressive at 90cm long and 14kg in weight (about the weight of a small dog).
"No permits have been issued for the release of grass carp on the Peninsula, so it is most likely that the fish floated across from Auckland or the Hauraki Plains in the recent storms" says freshwater scientist Michael Lake. It is illegal to introduce any fish into any waterway where is that are not already present without a permit from either the Department of Conservation or Ministry of Fisheries.
Koi carp are a pest fish that are not found on the Peninsula and are not wanted here. They cause erosion, increase algae, muddy the water, eat juvenile fish of other species and destroy the habitat of other fish, including that of whitebait. For these reasons they are regarded as noxious organisms under the Biosecurity Act, anyone caught selling, releasing or breeding them are liable for a $100,000 fine, five years in jail or both.