Vol. 18 18 No. No. 43 27 Vol.
FREE FREE PUBLICATION PUBLICATION
Wednesday, January Wednesday, May13, 4, 2016 2016
MAJESTIC: A brilliant sunset drifts into the Wimmera’s western horizon behind a shrinking Green Lake, south-east of Horsham, leaving silhouettes of wildlife. Green Lake joins nearby Dock Lake, dry but now listed as a significant regional wetland. The Weekly Advertiser’s Kelly Laird captured the environment that has inspired the call for environmental recognition of the area.
CMA: Hit carp here! They are confident the river, as a closed system, would suit a planned 2018 release of a carp-specific herpes virus designed to knock the fish out of the freshwater aquatic food chain. Wimmera Catchment Management Authority chief executive David Brennan confirmed the authority’s position after the Federal Government
announced it would use the biological control method to tackle the Eurasian species. “We have been working behind the scenes for about three or four years in advocating the Wimmera River system as the ideal starting point for the release of the carp virus,” Mr Brennan said. “The potential for the virus to harm other aquatic life forms is minimal, while the potential benefits are considerable. “We would obviously make sure all checks and measures were in place, but in a closed system like the Wim-
IN THIS ISSUE
mera River we could monitor its effectiveness closely. “The only word to describe what would happen to the river if we got rid of the carp is ‘transformational’. “You would basically see a different river with the removal of carp. “Their absence would provide an opportunity for the environment to improve – from the level of vegetation and building-block macro-invertebrates to simply improved water quality.”
$15-million
Member for Mallee Andrew Broad said the Federal Government would
AM
A AZ
RSH
PL
CA
CA SH
this Use
gift
RSH
AM
ZA
A PL
.AU . .COM m Plaza LAZAs at Horsha P M e HA has
RS purc W.HOcard toward
WW
HO
RD
He confirmed the National Carp Control Plan involved the release of the carp-specific virus. “Since their introduction into our rivers in the 1960s, carp have had a devastating impact on our waterways, significantly reducing our native fish populations and reducing our water quality,” he said. “Carp muddy our water, uproot vegetation which causes erosion, contribute to algal blooms and are driving many of our native fish species to the brink of extinction.”
Mr Broad said methods of controlling carp, such as trapping, had proved costly – about $500-million a year – and were largely ineffective. “With 80 to 90 percent of fish biomass in the Murray Darling Basin now said to be carp, it is critical new control methods are implemented,” he said. “We must eradicate this pest from our waterways and the latest scientific research suggests the release of this control agent, that only affects carp, is the most effective way of doing so, both in terms of cost and time.” Continued page 3
• Cancer centre assured • Mother’s Day feature • Football-netball previews
Phone: 03 5382 1351 Read it online: www.theweeklyadvertiser.com.au
HO
commit $15-million in a plan to rid the waterways of the pest fish within 30 years.
CA
CA SH
.AU . .COM m Plaza LAZAs at Horsha P M e HA has
RS purc W.HOcard toward
WW
this Use
RD
AUDITED: 22,652 COPIES
April 2015 to September 2015
Source: AMAA; CAB Total Distribution Audit for further information visit www.auditedmedia.org.au
A good idea, when you have no idea! Horsham Plaza Cash Cards
gift
Take the pressure off gift giving, call 5382 0912 now. CONDITIONS: Gift cash card valid at any Horsham Plaza store eftpos. $2 fee applicable to each card. Card presented in printed folder. Card valid for twelve months from issue. Lost cards cannot be replaced
KMART • NQR GROCERY CLEARANCE • SPOTLIGHT • REJECT SHOP • WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALTY STORES • WWW.HORSHAMPLAZA.COM.AU
HORSHAM
PLAZA DARLOT STREET Ph 5382 0912
HP0743
C
BY DEAN LAWSON
atchment leaders believe the Wimmera River represents the ideal waterway for the Federal Government to start its multimillion-dollar national carperadication program.