Who is Charlie Carp?
The Story of Charlie Carp is interesting and unique.The company was set up in June 1998, via a group of people from the Hay and Deniliquin districts in New South Wales, who were interested in pursuing a viable commercial use for European Carp, whilst at the same time reducing their numbers.
Charlie Carp assists in the reestablishment of native species in Australian waterways by removing the feral (and destructive) fish species - European Carp. We process over 300 tonnes of European Carp per year, which are removed from Australian waterways, and turn it into a rich garden fertiliser.
The whole fish is used, not just fish scraps. Coupled with being a freshwater feral species fish rather than a saltwater native fish, we believe this gives the product a sustainable edge on its competitors. The carp are either fresh or snap frozen - we do not use fish that has begun decaying.
Awards
Winner
Green Lifestyle Awards
Garden Product
2012
Charlie Carp was awarded the 2012 Green Lifestyle Award in recognition of the wonderful and inspiring work they have undertaken to clean up the waterways of Australia. Charlie Carp is definitely leading the charge toward a cleaner and greener living environment.
Winner
Prime Ministers Awards
The Prime Minister’s Environment Award
2000
Winner
Prime Ministers Awards
Australian Small Business Award for Environmental Best Practice
2000
At a gala luncheon held in Adelaide on Sunday 4th June to celebrate Australia’s hosting of the United Nations World Environment Day, Deniliquin based Fertiliser manufacturer, “Charlie Carp” was presented with The Prime Minister’s Environment Awards and Australian Small Business Award for Environmental Best Practice by the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard.
The Award was open to all Australia-Based businesses with an annual turnover of less than $2 million to highlight excellence, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit in environment related enterprise.
Winner
BANKSIA AWARDS
Environmental winner
2004
The commitment of NSW Company Charlie Carp to turn an unwanted environmental pest – the European Carp – into a sustainable product has seen it awarded a prestigious national Banksia Environmental Award.
The recognition for Leadership in Sustainable Product Design is the second significant award made to the company and follows the presentation of an Australian Small Business Award for Environmental Best Practice in 2000. Charlie Carp Managing Director, Harold Clapham said the company was very proud to have won the Banksia Award and said he believed it reinforced the very strong environmental credentials of the company.
Mr Clapham said the increasing market success of the Charlie Carp liquid fertiliser products highlighted that Australian consumers were willing to get behind a company with the right products and the right environmental credentials.
He said the company had adopted a unique approach and a unique philosophy from day one, turning a damaging pest into a commercial product.
Charlie Carp is a constructive and effective solution to a serious, introduced environmental problem. We are turning an environmental negative into an environmental positive by creating beautiful gardens and lawns, crops and pastures.
European Carp are the most invasive and destructive fresh water fish in the world. They destroy river systems and displace native fish. Each fish lays one million eggs per year, that is three times that of our native fish. Carp are bottom dwellers so they suck up the mud and silt from the bottom of the waterways, then spit it out muddying and dirtying up the water and undermining the riverbanks. This makes it impossible for our native fish to live and grow in healthy waterways.
As well as cleaning up our waterways, all Charlie Carp products are environmentally friendly with no harsh chemicals. This unique and effective fertiliser is made from 100% European Carp, not just the scraps so it is full of all the Vitamins, Minerals and vital trace elements needed to boost your plant’s immune system making it stronger and more resilient to disease. All these vital elements also help boost plant growth and leaf shine. It’s a definite Bonus for the environment both in the River systems and on the Garden!
The carp are supplied to us from licensed commercial fishermen, who catch them in the lakes and rivers either using nets or electro fishing. The fish must be either snap frozen or fresh on ice – we cannot and do not use rotten fish in our production processing.