A carp is any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae. The common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is the most common and best-known species of carp. Carp have been spread widely and often illegally, and are now present in many countries outside of their natural range.

Game and eating fish: Carp are a popular angling and eating fish in many countries. While tasty when grown in good water, carp can be riddled with small bones in unpredictable locations. Most carp have a fishy taste and are not considered to be good for eating in North America, although they are popular in restaurants in Japan and Taiwan where the fish are also considered to be signs of good fortune. Carp is a traditional Christmas Eve dish in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.

Celebrated in some places: Carp have food and angling value that is celebrated in some parts of the world. The carp has not yet gained gamefish status in the U.S. and are considered garbage among bass fisherman. In Europe on the other hand they are a trophy fish and lake owners are prepared to pay as much as £4,000 or $7,500 dollars for 40lb carp if fisherman fish for them on a catch and release basis.

Invasive species: Carp have attributes that allow them to be an invasive species - a species than invades and dominates new ecosystems with serious negative effects to the ecosystem and native fauna. The movement and introduction of Carp for frivolous reasons such as fishing should be not be tolerated.

Problems from Carp invaders: Reports of Carp muddying waters and destroying water weed through their bottom-grubbing feeding habits are frequently reported after their introduction, and are often accurate. Such raised turbidity may have serious impacts on aquatic ecosystems and submergent macrophytes ("water weed"), and loss of submergent macrophytes may also have serious effects on fish and invertebrate species reliant on them for habitat.

Australian Carp Problems: In Australia, where the dominant Carp strain was illegally introduced in the 1960s, there is overwhelming anecdotal evidence and mounting scientific evidence that Carp do indeed raise water turbidity, destroy a number of submergent macrophyte species, and consequently seriously impact upon aquatic ecosystems and native fish species dependent upon those submergent macrophytes. There is also mounting suspicion that overwhelming numbers of Carp larvae compete with native fish larvae for food.

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