Why are goldfish in the pond? Why is it a problem?

What is the goldfish management problem?

• Invasive species create a serious issue in Alberta’s waterways or stormwater management facilities
• Home aquariums and ponds can carry invasive species, including their:
  • Water
  • Plants, fish, and animals (dead or alive)
• Invasive species threaten the health of our natural waterbodies and the operation of our stormwater management facilities
• Common aquarium pond plants and animals, like Goldfish, can become invasive when released into the wild

How did we end up with invasive goldfish in our storm water system?

• Goldfish pets that were abandoned in the Lakeway Landing storm pond are breeding quickly and damaging the pond

How do abandoned pets damage our environment?

The invasive goldfish are damaging the natural ecosystem:

• Abandoned pets, especially invasive fish, like goldfish, pose serious risks
• Stormwater is not treated and can spread invasive species like goldfish from the ponds to the lake
• Stormwater flows untreated into Sylvan Lake, Cygnet Lake, and Cygnet Creek
• Goldfish outcompete native species because they:
  • Breed quickly, laying 500 to 1,000 eggs multiple times a summer
  • Live for up to 40 years
  • Goldfish can live in a wide range of temperatures
  • Can live in water with low oxygen levels
  • Eat native fish eggs, snails, and plants
• They harm the ecosystem by:
  • Passing diseases to native fish
  • Consuming native fish eggs and larvae
  • Making the water cloudy by stirring up sediment when feeding. This reduces the sunlight to underwater plants which damages or kills the plants. This creates habitat loss for native species
  • Damaging the storm pond’s natural ability to filter and remove pollutants before the stormwater flows back into Sylvan Lake

How do abandoned pets impact our economy?

• Abandoning pets hurts the environment and the economy
• Removing invasive species and their eggs requires expensive clean-ups
• If the goldfish make it to Sylvan Lake, they could damage our valuable fishing tourism industry

Do not abandon goldfish or other pets

• If you can no longer care for your fish, there are many ways to rehome them
• Give them away online using websites like Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji
• Take them back to the pet store, many will take back your animals!
• Call the Central Alberta Humane Society