From abandoned pets to ecological threats: giant goldfish cause crisis in Lake America

If you no longer want or You cannot continue to take care of your goldfish and you have thought of granting it “freedom” in a beautiful lake, do not do it, the authorities have warned of serious consequences that this implies for native species and the environment.

A few days ago, officials in Burnsville, Minnesota showed the serious consequences and asked owners of goldfish and other species not to release them into rivers or toilets. Because they grow very quickly, they reproduce in large quantities and destroy native species in the environment.

“Please don’t release your pet in ponds and lakes!” They get bigger than you might think and contribute to poor water quality by removing sediment from the bottom and uprooting plants.. Groups of these large goldfish have recently been found in the Keller lake“, They reported on their Twitter account.

Goldfish are considered domestic. The problem is, when released into fresh water, become an invasive speciesThey reproduce quickly and, having a larger population than native species, destroy their habitat.

“Some goldfish may seem like a harmless addition to the local body of water to some, but they are not,” the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources warned. The Washington Post.

In addition, they noted that these animals can move quickly to other habitats through city stormwater ponds, creeping into lakes or streams and causing negative impact in the flora and fauna of the whole country.

In addition, if we take into account that this type of fish they can weigh up to four pounds (1.8 kg) and live up to 25 years. Added to this is the fact that they are very hardy, as they can survive in severe conditions such as very cold winters.

This is not the first time that this has happened in this state, last november, wildlife officials found thousands of fish colorful swimming on Big Woods Lake in Chaska, a suburb of Minneapolis. A team had to remove a truck loaded with 500,000 goldfish due to environmental problems caused by fish.

It’s a repeat problem in other parts of the United States, in fact, in Carver County, they’ve been trying to control these fish for two years. and, in Washington, they are also working to rehabilitate a lake near Spokane, where the trout population was affected. Too there have been cases in Teller Lake, near Boulder, Colorado, and Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where researchers found thousands of non-native fish in local lakes in both regions years ago.

It is estimated that every year invasive species, some of them in your aquarium, suffer damages of 120,000 million dollars in our country. Billions of additional dollars are spent on prevention, detection, monitoring, management, awareness and restoration of habitats.

What to do with our fish?

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recommends offering them for adoption. Another alternative is to contact a local vet or pet retailer to find ways to dispose of fish humanely, without harming native fish species in your neighborhood.

“Help your fish find a home with someone to care for them. The adoption of fish is a real thing! Donate your fish to a pet store, school or educational institution, or advertise online that you will be donating your pet. You can also consult online forums dedicated to the adoption of unwanted animals. Through local and regional aquarium hobby clubs, you may also find the opportunity to sell it, ”they noted.

“Give them a dignified death. Contact your veterinarian or pet retailer to find out how to get rid of your pet in a humane manner. It might sound cruel, but take a moment to think about what life could be like for your fish in the wild. Being strangers in these waters, they could end up sick, starving or eaten by predators, or even the plague that attacks the environment. native species, ”they detailed.

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