Federal and state agricultural ministers have agreed to continue researching a herpes virus for potential release into Australian waterways overrun with carp, but an expert says doing so risks wasting time and money.

The six-year study cost $10.4 million, which was drawn from $15.2m dedicated to the research by the federal government in 2016.

Communities across the Murray-Darling Basin have been dealing with increased carp numbers in the wake of flooding in 2022-23.

“We could be researching this issue for another 10 years and at the end of the day there would still be nothing done, just money put to something that doesn’t come to fruition,” he said.