General News
27 March, 2026
Carp catching day returns
SKIPTON Primary School’s ‘Clear the Carp’ fishing competition is set to return following strong community support last year.
Year Five and Six students at the school have partnered with the Stewart Park Committee of Management to host the event again on Sunday, March 29.
The previous year saw 81 anglers remove 32 carp from Mount Emu Creek.
Skipton Primary School science and sustainability teacher Georgina Green said the competition, supported by Fish Care, Oz Fish, and the Upper Mount Emu Creek Landcare Network, would run from 9am-3pm.
“There is going to be food, a barbecue and lots of prizes such as fishing and camping equipment,” she said.
“The categories are longest carp, smallest carp, mystery weight, most carp and weirdest catch.
“The age groups are under five, under 13, under 18 and open.
“If you are under 18 or over 70, you won’t need a fishing licence for this event.
“If you’re under 18 you will need a parent to sign you in to compete, while children under 10 years will need responsible adult supervision at all times.”
Responsible fishing charity organisation Fish Care will be providing fishing equipment for adults with no fishing rods or licences
Fishing conservation charity Oz Fish will also be running habitat and aquatic ecology workshops throughout the day at Stewart Park (Montgomery Street, Skipton) alongside commercial carp fisher Keith Bell giving carp processing and cooking demonstrations.
“We are doing this to help recover from the 2022 floods, when thousands of carp washed into our beloved Mount Emu Creek from Lake Burrumbeet,” Ms Green said.
“The carp are disturbing the mud at the bottom of the creek, increasing turbidity and making it extremely difficult for the platypus to find food using sonar on their bills and to survive.
“The carp breed like crazy all year round.
“They eat native fish eggs and larvae that feed other native fish, birds, platypus, rakali and turtles.
“They also disturb the vegetation on the creek banks where frogs and platypus live.”
For more information, contact Ms Green on georgina.green2@education.vic.gov.au.
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