are carp guilty of environmental damage?

Amidst a largely positive viewpoint on angling,http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/publication/pdf/fisheries.pdf elsewhere in another press release EN mention that increased numbers of bottom feeding fish are disturbing sediments and doing damage to lake beds. Presumably they mean carp. See their press release about lakes. It's in there somewhere.

I'm surprised nobody's added to this...It's just the sort of thing anglers should be seen to debate in public. I should add that the chief executive of EN is an angler, and EN seems generally very well-disposed to angling. We really should take some notice. Perhaps offer some help - while asking for advice?

All the recent debate about fish feeling pain has served to show is that yet again, the angling fraternity can't act together. Well, perhaps there are good reasons for it. Perhaps we should give up trying to act together, if it doesn't come naturally. But what else should we do?
I think the PR route is the one to take, following in the the footsteps of Ashe Hurst, who I think has blazed a trail we all ought to follow as best we can. Anyone who read the fish/pain threads he took part in can't help but admire the attitude he's taking. But does he get to go fishing? I don't know, but as they say, if you want to get something done, ask a busy person...
Ashe isn't alone, either. There are others, but I don't remember any names off hand.

In England, what I don't like is the overstocking of small puddles with lots of small carp. A decent sized lake naturally stocked with indigenous species and a few big carp does very little harm. Although the big carp do go through the spawning actions, they tend not to be successful at breeding.

The big carp provide a challenge to those who want to persue them and their numbers do not seem to harm the other species.

But lots of toy carp, no way.

Couldn't agree more Roy, I came back to fishing a few years ago after several years break and the biggest difference I found was that every bit of water larger than a garden pond was full of carp.

Some of the best fishing I ever had when I was a kid was at a small 'natural' lake that held just a few big carp, but loads of Tench, Roach and Bream, occasionaly someone would hook one of the carp and all hell was let loose!! At the time, it wasn't unusual to catch 10-15 good Tench in a session (my best was 47 fish averaging between 4 & 6lb in one day). I visited the lake last year and of course it is now a 'commercial' water. Full of baby carp and not much else. I know how I would prefer it to be.

Sorry Ron, didn't mean to call you Roy!!

totally agree ron. for once.

I am sure they do do damage, as do signal crays, cormorants, grey squirrels etc etc.

I agree with Ron (not for the first time!), but I also have no issues with anyone building their own lake as a carp puddle, their choice.

Its interesting what Ron says about carp spawning. My local club is what you may term a "proper" water. Good mixed head of fish, with specimens in all types - an old gravel pit. For years now carp have not spawned (gone thru the motions, but no success).

Recently I attended my fathers memorial yacht race (model yachts) on a not too recently built "pleasure lake". Fishing isn't allowed. There are carp in their thousands. So much so that MidKent fishing club nets regularly. I asked the manager how they were stocked.

"Never were" was the answer, "they just appeared and spawned".

It does make me wonder why they spawn here, and not in the club lake. The only reason I can think of is that the fishing club is surrounded by arrable farm land, and I wondered whether chemicals from fertilzers and pesticides may be a reason? Or could it be anything to do with the increased used of "designer" baits?