Albertans warned not to flush 'invasive' goldfish

[Flash Walken]

Environmental officers in the province of Alberta say they've found goldfish the size of dinner plates in the region's storm ponds. Forty of the fish were pulled from a single pond in the north of the province earlier this year, the CBC News website reports. "That's really scary because it means they're reproducing in the wild, they are getting quite large and they are surviving the winters that far north," says Kate Wilson from Alberta's environment department. Goldfish are considered an invasive species in Canada, and the government is worried they could upset fragile local ecosystems.

As a result, it has launched a campaign warning people of the trouble flushed pets can cause - even if they have already gone to the big goldfish pond in the sky. "Even if the fish are dead, they could have diseases or parasites that could be introduced, especially if the water treatment system is not top notch," Ms Wilson tells Fort McMurray Today. The campaign will also target pet stores and markets, as well as groups that engage in "mercy releases", where captive animals are set free in the belief it will create spiritual "good karma", CBC News says.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news...where-33254630

“It seems to be an emerging issue in our society and culture, that releasing pets into the wild is the humanitarian thing to do,” said Kate Wilson, an invasive species specialist with Alberta Environment and Parks. “If a species as benign as a goldfish can survive winters in Alberta, that is a serious cause for concern.”

So far, the goldfish have been restricted to storm ponds, although some of those ponds are connected to the Athabasca and Clearwater rivers. The newcomers are part of a trend appearing in Alberta’s waters. The province is also battling the ongoing threats of a zebra mussel infestation and Prussian carp, which have been spotted in central Alberta. Alberta is the only jurisdiction in North America with reports of the small, silver fish.

“Most domestic pets or animals you can buy are not native to Alberta,” she said. “Even if the fish are dead, they could have diseases or parasites that could be introduced, especially if the water treatment system is not top notch.”

http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/201...rtas-waterways

[Timbo]

Better just to eat them alive I guess. Who knew that College initiations/dares where so helpful to the environment? #aheadoftheirtimes

[chedder]

The ponds at the claresholm golf course almost glow orange there are so many goldfish. They've tried draining the ponds to freeze them out and were unsuccessful. The only upside is the pelicans love eating them and stick around all summer.

[ken0042]

I'm not sure where the BBC report got that flushed fish are ending up in our waterways. Sounds like the fish are getting there by being released into the wild.

I don't have extensive knowledge of how our sanitary sewer system works, but I am pretty sure that a fish flushed down the toilet (dead or alive) will go through so many treatment steps that nothing of concern could enter our rivers.

[CroFlames]

I get all my public service announcements on CP now.

[Timbo]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I'm not sure where the BBC report got that flushed fish are ending up in our waterways. Sounds like the fish are getting there by being released into the wild.

I don't have extensive knowledge of how our sanitary sewer system works, but I am pretty sure that a fish flushed down the toilet (dead or alive) will go through so many treatment steps that nothing of concern could enter our rivers.

Agreed it's from illegal introduction.

[habernac]

I've visited our Bonnybrook water treatment plant and I agree that it is very questionable that these fish were flushed to get there. Though this article is about the Fort McMurray area.

[undercoverbrother]

How do you not post a picture of Blinky with this thread..?

[BlackArcher101]

They were found in storm ponds, not the sewer system. Somewhere there was a disconnect in the facts as those two systems don't connect to each other. Very unlikely a goldfish would survive in a sewer system and they certainly wouldn't be concerned about the diseases/parasites they carry being introduced to the sewage.

Releasing into the wild is far different from flushing.

[burn_this_city]

Pretty sure the storm water pond in McKenzie Towne has goldfish in it, there's tons of smallish orange colored fish schooling.

[CaptainCrunch]

What if they mutate into some kind of horrible vegetarian piranha?