Hi Jennifer,

True, you have written much of substance on the barrages and many thanks for your link.

Makes no difference to the point I raised which was, why are you now flashing your colors as an activist?

It is because you get the feeling that fewer and fewer are listening to you? Is this because Australians have turned off? Is it because your articles are losing traction? Is it an act of desperation resulting from the fact that activism is not as credible as it used to be?

I don’t have any answers for you, except to say, stop getting frustrated with those who don’t agree with you. Why don’t you stop proselytizing to your captive audience and start making some logical, non emotive arguments to those who are disinterested in where your argument is going?

I can whip up support quite easily for those that agree with me that the Martians will invade anytime now, but what’s the point. Stop preaching to the converted, make some new inroads.

Otherwise you tag yourself as an activist.

Go away Spindoc and spin your ego web somewhere else.

Jennifer is a PhD scientist who has spent years researching this subject and she has every right to keep publishing her opinions - especially on The Forum, On line Opinions!

I've been following Jennifer's arguments on this story for years now and I agree with her as do many others.

Hopefully with the upcoming change of Government we might get some rational decisions on this matter.

It has always amazed me that there was no mention of the carp invasion in any of the "expert" and "scientific" Murray Darling Basin reports. This noxious pest has been responsible for much environmental degradation in the Murray and Murrumbidgee river systems. It is sad to think that productive water is being taken away from farmers so as Lake Alexandrina can be kept artificially fresh. You also don't need to be a rocket scientist to understand why the carp fishermen have been very vocal throughout the whole MDB Plan process. If the Lake was returned to its natural estuarine state the carp would not survive but at least the native Mulloway could return.

It is funny how Jennifer does not want foreign fish displacing Australian fish in Australian rivers, but she can't make the same connection about foreign people doing the same thing to her own people, in her own country.

Hi Janama, (AKA one of the converted)

Nobody is denying Jennifer her opinions, we are challenging them.

Having a PhD is all the more reason for the expectation of deeper analysis, rational thinking and well considered conclusions. If these are not presented is fails the “research” test and becomes captive to activism.

The issue seems to be that the intervention in tidal flows has created an accidental but thriving market for Carp.

Great, that gives fishermen a product to sell to an emerging market for a species that is popular with Asians and European cultures.

What other contributory factors might be considered?

Australians are being priced out of our own seafood products and markets, our fisheries are now restricted by the marine parks pushed for by conservation activism, our fisheries inside and outside our marine parks are being pillaged by foreign fishing interests, our border protection vessels are too busy picking up “irregular maritime arrivals” to protect our remaining fisheries, not to mention retrieving the remaining body parts of those 1200 plus souls lost at sea and activists still want to release the precious lifeblood of our agriculture and remaining fisheries for “wet land” conservation?

So, for some fishermen, Carp is a product that can provide them a living.

Can’t have that now can we, so why not deny them that also?

Please discuss Janama?

spindoc - I would have thought a saltwater fishing industry with Mulloway, Mullet etc would be more beneficial than an introduced carp industry.
If carp are so much in demand, as you say, why aren't there carp fishing industries all along the Murray river as it's full of them. We could do well to rid ourselves of them.