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Re: Fishy escapees and fertilizer

I live on the shores of an in-city 18-acre lake that has had its share of
pollution problems over the years (including an admitted 85,000 gallon sewer
leak last May), but still manages to have a good collection of snapping
turtles, water snakes, and a year-round duck and goose population, plus
migratory fowl who stop for a rest on their travel routes. We also have
giant sterile carp put in during the 1930s by the Conservation Department
for the control of aquatic weeds. And we are home to giant goldfish, who
began, I think, as bait fish and were able to live through all the threats.
As of this past summer we have counted five with varying scaled pigments
ranging from pure gold to a salt and pepper tint. They are over three feet
long. Best, Peter
----- Original Message -----
From: "Penny Woodward" <woodycoa@surf.net.au>
To: <Gardenwriters@topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 9:53 AM
Subject: [GWL]: Fishy escapees and fertilizer



> Here's a topic I know something about, but I'm not an expert. While
goldfish
> could escape from ponds into the wild during flood conditions, I seriously
> question how long a goldfish would survive among our natural predators. As
> an avid fisherman, I can tell you that goldfish are sold as bait all over
> the country for a reason -- they are slow and golden -- an easy catch for
> bass which inhabit the shallows and catfish which inhabit deeper water.
Dear Larry and others, the following is an interesting site that lists the
exotic fish that have been released or escaped in Australia and some of the
problems they have caused. It seems that goldfish can and do escape here but
are not a major problem compared to some of the others. Small koi or
European carp are often sold here as goldfish, for domestic ponds, and these
certainly have caused many problems for our waterways and native fish over
the years.

http://www.nativefish.asn.au/exotics.html

As an example of how something that is a disaster can sometimes be turned
into a positive, our carp problems have become a positive for an
enterprising business man who is harvesting carp from our rivers and turning
it into a garden fertilizer.  The following is an extract from a press
release. Just thought it might interest you garden writers out there.

"Charlie Carp is a new fertilizer made from whole European Carp caught in
the inland river systems of Australia. The European Carp is a major pest,
considered by many to be worse than rabbits. Gardeners are now helping to
solve a pest problem and at the same time give a huge boost to their
gardens, by using the recycled carp as a useful by product resource
throughout Australia.
With a good NPK balance, Charlie Carp can be used as a complete food source
on many plants, including natives."

Cheers Penny
Freelance writer and photographer. Author of "Garlic and Friends", "Penny
Woodward's Australian Herbal", "Pest Repellent Plants" and "Asian Herbs and
Vegetables".

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============================================================
Crack of the Bat, Click of the Mouse. Taking someone
out to the ball game is great, but when you can't make
it to the park, Baseball Weekly is the next best thing to
being there! Sign up here!
http://click.topica.com/caaacQ2bUrGSSbVSZwBf/TopOffers
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http://www.hort.net/lists/gardenwriters/
If you have photos for GWL, send them to gwlphotos@hort.net and they will show up at  http://www.hort.net/lists/gwlphotos/ 
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