As a biologist
As a biologist I can assure you that carp got here both from escape and government stocking programs, but just because they were stocked doesn't mean it was a good idea. They most certainly are invasive and do a HUGE amount of damage. They also tend to outcompete our native species of buffalo. In my lifetime I have seen a gradual replacement of buffalo with carp. In many parts of their range buffalo fish are now becoming rare. A tragedy since thsy are far better table fair. Carp also do great damage to some water plant species which would otherwise provide habitat for other fish. And this is just the common carp. Some of the others are far worse. I