Carp caught with bow and arrow

Around 60 people gathered in the Waikato over the weekend for the Bow hunters Carp Competition. The competition targets the Koi carp and introduced fish that poses a serious threat to New Zealand’s freshwater ecosystems.

The carp destroys river and lake beds as it sucks up all debris on the floor and spits out what it can’t eat. This uproots many plants and the uplifted silt leaves the water murky.

The competition is supported by DOC in an attempt to raise awareness about the destruction the fish causes to New Zealand waterways. There are severe penalties for spreading, selling and releasing the carp which can reach up to a $100,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment.

However some commercial operators can sell the fish as bait. Over the weekend over 3 tones of fish was caught with the largest at 9.55kg still a fair way off the 12kg record.