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Noxious fish
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Declared noxious species
Those species declared noxious in Queensland waters are listed in the table below:
Common name |
Scientific name(s) |
|
Lepomis spp. (Centrarchidae) | |
|
Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cobitididae/Cobitidae) | |
|
Electrophorus electricus (Electrophoridae) | |
|
Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) | |
|
Anabas testudineus (Anabantidae) | |
|
Ctenopharyngodon idella (Cyprinidae) | |
|
Micropterus salmoides (Centrarchidae) | |
|
Gambusia spp. (Poeciliidae) | |
|
Lates niloticus (Centropomidae) | |
|
Family Trichomycteridae | |
|
Crenicichla spp. (Cichlidae) | |
|
Piranhas, Pacus |
Subfamily Serrasalminae (family Characidae): Serrasalminae (of Nelson 1994) - all species except Metynnis spp. and Myleus rubripinnis |
|
Channa spp. (Channidae) | |
|
Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum (Pimelodidae) | |
|
Hydrocynus spp. (subfamily Hydrocyninae or Alestinae) | |
|
Erythrinus, Hoplerythrinus and Hoplias spp. (Erythrinidae) | |
|
Tilapia, Oreochromis and Sarotherodon spp. (Cichlidae) | |
|
Family Clariidae |
For additional information, please see Noxious fish - species information.
Legislation
Noxious fish are listed in the Fisheries Regulation 2008. Fines of up to $150 000 can be imposed on anyone having noxious fish in their possession without a permit. Copies of legilsation can be downloaded directly at the Office of Parliamentary Counsel website.
Noxious fish cannot be kept, hatched, reared or sold. When caught all noxious fish should be destroyed; they must not be returned to the water and must not be used as bait, live or dead. Anyone found to be releasing noxious fish may be charged with the cost of eradication and removal of those fish.
Control of noxious fish
Chemical control of noxious fish using piscicides (poisons specific to fish, for example, rotenone) can be successful for small, enclosed water bodies such as farm dams, resort lakes, ornamental ponds and some isolated pools within river systems where noxious fish sometimes congregate. Eradication is a costly procedure and involves the destruction, collection and disposal of fish. Chemical control was used to eradicate a population of tilapia in a Port Douglas resort pond in 1989. Eighteen tonnes of fish (more than 1 million fish) were poisoned. This population had grown from only five fish released three years earlier.
At present there is no effective method for eradicating noxious fish from larger water bodies and flowing river systems. Eradication of the existing populations has proved impossible except in small bodies of confined water. Several incidences of a 'natural climatic' control have occurred in North Pine Dam where, following the onset of westerly winds in winter, turnover of the water within the dam resulted in extensive mortalities of tilapia (they can't tolerate extensive periods of low water temperature). However, this was not sufficient to cause eradication.
Biological control methods, such as manipulating the genetic structure of tilapia to disrupt their breeding or inducing early death, have yet to be developed and a great deal of research is required. It may be many years before these techniques can be used outside laboratories. Another possible control measure is rehabilitation of the riverine environment which may reduce the competitive advantage noxious fish have over native fish.
Last reviewed 01 April 2008
