The National Carp Control Plan has been handed to the Agriculture Department after years of delays. 

The National Carp Control Plan (NCCP) is meant to determine whether or not a carp herpes virus should be released into Australian waterways as a way to eradicate the pest species. 

The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) was tasked with assessing the feasibility of using Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 as a control method for the pest species.

The plan was formulated under the previous federal government, and took several years to be officially released. 

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt and his state and federal counterparts say they have not made a decision on the potential future release of the virus at this stage.

The NCCP is still not currently available to the public.

Shadow Agriculture Minister and leader of the National Party, David Littleproud, was the minister in charge of the NCCP when the Liberal Nationals were in government.

He personally delayed the delivery of the plan by granting the FRDC extra time to complete additional scientific work.

He now says Mr Watt should release the plan. 

“I think it was reasonable [at the time], but the extra scientific research has been done now and enough time has passed. It's time to deliver the plan,” he said.

“The community needs to see this report, we need to have confidence in this report, it shouldn't be anything controversial,” he said.

“I just have no idea why the Labor government won't release the report immediately so everyone can see it, work through it, and have an opinion.

“The interim recommendations the FRDC provided to me was the virus would eradicate around 96 per cent [of carp].

“But there were issues around the speed of rolling it out to make sure there wasn't unintended environmental consequences of fish rotting in the system causing water issues.”

The Agriculture Department has issued a statement saying; “All jurisdictions and the Australian government will need time to consider the NCCP, which includes reviewing the plan and associated documentation and considering next steps”.

‘[This] includes the Environment and Invasives Committee and the National Biosecurity Committee … and the Minister will only consider it once it has been reviewed by the relevant committees.

“Any potential future release of the carp virus will not occur without further consideration, agreement from all relevant jurisdictions, and extensive stakeholder consultation,” the department said.