Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Hello,

Does anyone out there know where I can get a regular supply of live carp in Melbourne/Victoria?

Lee.

No because it is illegal.

Carp would make a great AP species because they are so hardy but the law is against us.

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What about their cousins ... the KOI ... I was given ten 50mm babies and they are doing well.. best thing... they make a far more decorative FT..
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I'm with Stuart they have been illegal in Vic for years as a kid we would catch them at Glenmaggie and were not allowed to throw them back in we always had a bin bag to put them in I thought they were wiped out years ago

Koi are illegal as well. Not that that stops people from keeping them though, including the Museum of Victoria among other government institutions breaking the law.

Actually illegal to keep them in a tank? I'm aware that it's illegal to return them to the waterways. I chatted with a guy from Melbourne Water who organises a drag-netting program at Patterson Lakes. I told him I was looking for a regular supply of live carp to use as food (yes my wife and I eat carp. They're actually delicious if handled and prepared correctly) and he didn't mention anything about the legality of keeping them in a tank, he only said that I'd just missed out on this year's netting program and that I'd have to wait until next year.

Carp would be ideal in Melbourne. Tough as nails and will eat anything. I've got one small one in my tank at the moment that a friend caught in a tabby net. Seems to be getting along fine with my silver and jade perch.

If any regular fisherman out there catch carp I'd be happy to come and collect them from you. I'd even buy them if the price is right. I keep chickens so maybe we could trade for some eggs?

*yabby net

Yes illegal same as redfin.

I thought Gold fish are a breed of carp?

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It's interesting that I think there is a car ad, that features a fisheries officer driving the rugged road and stunning what appears to be CARP, and then releasing them..

As for KOI... I would expect that there is a permit system where if you pay the money and answer the right questions, you can keep them..

As for eating carp.. what is the trick in preparation ... Is it the case that WILD carp suck up all that mud, whereas farmed carp, would be pre-clensed.. what do they taste like..

Good luck finding some, but I expect that netting them illegally, or waiting for the next drag-netting, might be the only way..
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Yes they are and they are a grey area. European Carp and Koi are specifically mentioned in the regulations though.

This link is the relevant bit:

http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fishing-and-hunting/fisheries/marine-pests-and-diseases/noxious-aquatic-species-in-victoria
There used to be a specific mention of Koi but there doesn't seem to be know. Although having said that Koi are just coloured carp so being the same species an officius inspector could nab you.

Now I'm really confused because the list doesn't have Redfin on it.

I now it use to be there because a few years ago the guide had a bag limit of 20 redfin per person but also a rule that you weren't allowed to throw them back.

well there you go Stuart, what can we make of the laws in this country some times?
some times we have to do what we have to do and if its for the better IE taking carp out of the wild to raise and use as a food! well I think that's a good out come and I don't see a negative, but that's just my view.

I would like to know how to handle and prepare carp for the table though, I have eaten carp once and it was delicious!

Buidoi: the secret to delicious carp is to get them on ice immediately. That 'muddy' flavour that everyone talks about isn't a result of its feeding habits, but because of an accumulation of histamines in the flesh. When a fish gets stressed, it's temperature rises and histamines start to accumulate in its blood. The histamines eventually get into the capillaries in the flesh and that's what spoils the flavour. By putting them straight into ice you induce hypothermia in the fish. Blood is drawn away from the fish's extremities and concentrated around the internal organs. Fish are cold-blooded so they'll quickly go unconscious and die peacefully. Most people tend to fill a bucket with water and put the still-alive fish in there, but that's the worst thing to do. There isn't enough oxygen in the bucket water to keep the fish alive so it slowly suffocates, becomes highly stressed and the flesh becomes contaminated with histamines.

I would have thought promoting carp as a food source would be in everyone's best interests. I'll keep looking into it and let you know what I find.

Good luck dealing with the bureaucrats.