The plan, which looks to eradicate 95 per cent of carp by releasing a herpes strain into rivers, has been praised by fishermen despite an “endless clean-up”.

It is estimated between 500,000 and 2,000,000 tonnes of carp will be killed by the virus, fuelling concerns the Murray River will be flooded with fish corpses. 

Senior fisheries manager at the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Matt Barwick said he can foresee the strategy used throughout lakes and rivers in Wagga.

"I would anticipate that the state would release the virus locally wherever they see fit,” he said. 

"In a couple of years’ time, if we gain approval, state government will be able to allocate to virus on a regional scale, at their discretion."

The CSIRO and the Invasive Animals Co-operative Research Centre have conducted research on the virus and determined it will not affect any other species of fish, animals or humans. 

Craig Harris, a Wagga fishing enthusiast for nearly 50 years, said most “noble” fishermen would do their part and remove dead carp from the waters. 

"Most of us who are dedicated would take them out, even if it made our boats stink – it’s just a select few that would leave them floating,” he said. 

“It’s a necessary thing to do to get rid of them because they’re decimating the river systems and we need to do something.” 

Researchers added that finding and implementing a clean-up strategy would be at the top of their priorities moving forward. 

“It absolutely is imperative that we implement an effective clean up strategy to ensure water quality and protect our native species,” Mr Barwick said. 

Cotton Australia general manager Michael Murray said the industry recognised the importance of a Ministerial task force which will be established to co-ordinate efforts over federal and state jurisdictions. “In our view, the removal of carp would be the single biggest positive towards improving the environmental health of Murray Darling Basin river systems,” he said.