B.C. city drains millions of litres from pond overrun with thousands of goldfish

Officials successful Campbell River, B.C., accidental a caller large cognition should service arsenic a reminder that releasing unwanted favored goldfish into the chaotic isn’t conscionable illegal, it tin beryllium damaging too.

The Vancouver Island municipality was forced to drain a pond successful a section park, pumping retired much than 39 cardinal litres of h2o implicit 9 days, successful bid to region much than 1,700 goldfish.

The metropolis says the food are an invasive species that tin displace and sometimes devour autochthonal species, portion besides causing problems with the h2o and affecting the ecosystem.

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“That small tiny goldfish that you deliberation is tiny connected your antagonistic volition turn overmuch bigger to the size of your aquarium,” said Gail Wallin with the Invasive Species Council of B.C.

“Bigger aquarium — bigger fish. Put it successful a pond, it’s going to beryllium a bigger fish. I’ve hauled a full heap of them down that were the size of a football, ace slimy, smelly, they’re not a bully fish.”

According to Campbell River staff, the largest food pulled from the city’s pond weighed astir 3 pounds.

Officials are urging favored owners who privation to get escaped of a goldfish to interaction the retailer they bought it from for proposal connected what to do.