The adorable pet-friendly Goldfish most Americans are familiar with have found a new home, Lake Ontario. Roughly 40-50 million Goldfish are estimated to inhabit Lake Ontario, growing concerns that the fish are now harming the ecosystem. In recent years, the number of Goldfish living in freshwater have been doubling and tripling. Last year, goldfish began raising concerns as ponds in St. Albert, Ontario were found to have Goldfish in abundant numbers, forcing the City of St. Albert to kill as many of the fish as possible.
How do Goldfish become an invasive species? Experts say people innocently flushing and or dumping their fish in bodies of water may be partially to blame. Unwanted Goldfish that are dumped into nearby streams and ponds in a wild environment, tend to grow 4-5 times bigger in size. Goldfish lay eggs and begin to multiply in numbers, then the cycle repeats itself.
If you are an owner of an unwanted Goldfish, here are some tips that don’t include dumping:
1) Give fish away to a willing owner
2) Donate to an aquarium or fish store
3) If the fish is dead, seal in a Ziploc bag and throw away or bury in a deep hole so other animals don’t dig it up.