Talking Carp and River Murray health at Adelaide ‘Eat The Invaders’ panel discussion

Recently NGT’s senior aquatic ecologist Dr Sylvia Zukowski, was asked to be on the discussion panel at a screening of ‘Eat The Invaders’ (Carp episode) at Adelaide’s Summertown Studios. The event was Hosted by the Murray Darling Conservation Alliance, Conservation Council SA, and the ABC Impacts and Partnerships team, with MC Cale Matthews from ABC. NGT’s newsletter editor Tessa went along to watch and report back.

You may have already seen some of the ‘Eat The Invaders’ series, which has been airing on ABC television recently and looks at tackling the problem of invasive species. The Carp episode highlighted the environmental damage caused by the problematic pest fish, deliberately introduced by early settlers in the late 1850s. It was staggering to hear of the sheer numbers of Carp, boosted by the stagnant water created by the locks and weirs of a modern regulated River Murray. The episode also discussed whether eating Carp could help to control the problem, and whether is was possible to first change Australian’s negative perceptions of the taste, despite it being eating in many other countries. The conclusion was that if prepared properly, Carp is a delicious fish. During the show, members of the public were asked to taste a classic plate of fish and chips. After all exclaiming how tasty it was, they were surprised to find out it was Carp. Coorong Wild Seafood (panellist Glen Hill’s business) announced it would be supplying Carp meat to the Central Markets soon. So, all South Aussies could soon try Carp themselves, as an environmentally friendly alternative to the many overfished ocean species.

The theme of the post-screening discussion was centred on the health of the River Murray and SA’s water systems generally. Panelists discussed challenges and mismanagement that has occurred, and what can be done to better manage water for healthy rivers, a healthy environment and sustainable future. Sylvia spoke about her work in fish conservation, and shared positive stories of reintroductions of threatened and previously extinct species such as the Murray Crayfish. She also spoke about the importance of wetlands along the river, and their crucial role in the breeding cycles of our native small-bodied fish.

All the panelists spoke with much passion for our River Murray, wetlands and SA’s water, and shared their own experiences and knowledge.

In addition to Sylvia, also on the panel were:

Glen Hill (featured on the episode), Coorong Fisherman
Grant Rigney, Chairperson of the Murray Lower Darling River Indigenous Nations (MLDRIN) (and much more!)
Char Nitschke, Murray Darling Conservation Alliance + Conservation Council SA, Save The Murray Campaign Coordinator.