Should we shut down for spawning carp? - Rob Hughes

There was an interesting discussion across social media recently asking whether it is acceptable for fisheries to close completely when the resident carp are spawning.

We don’t do it when the roach or tench are spawning, and we certainly don’t do it when the pike and perch are either. In fact, we often target these species when they’re at their highest weights during these periods. 

Right now, we’re bang in the middle of carp spawning season and I’m sure we all agree that targeting any fish when they’re spawning is not the done thing. The truth is that they’re unlikely to feed anyway, but the risk comes during the immediate aftermath.

Many fisheries are carp orientated, and when the resident fish look like spawning, or actually start to spawn, the fishery closes, often for up to two weeks. I get that catching carp is an occupational hazard of tench and bream angling, so that might be risky, but if you’re a general coarse angler wanting to avoid carp you potentially lose your sport because something you don’t fish for needs a break.

Often as a result of numbers of anglers, and certainly as a result of financial value, carp are the dominant species in fisheries and set the benchmark for fishery practice and management. But what about matches? Spawning fish put matchmen and organisers in a precarious position.

I believe in the argument that spawning fish, whatever they are, should be left alone and also have a recovery period, but should whole lakes close down for carp? 

We don’t consider shutting down for tench.