Releasing pets in the wild may seem like the right thing to do. However, this could fully disrupt an ecosystem, especially if you’re dropping your pet goldfish into a lake or pond.
Recently, authorities of Burnsville town in Minnesota shared an advisory post on the town’s social media platform. Their concern? Well, the town is facing a problem as huge goldfish have been overcrowding at Keller lake. They’ve warned the locals against dumping their unwanted pet goldfish into water bodies.
“Why, Felix? What harm could goldfish do in a lake?” Scorch wondered.
“Well, leave a goldfish out of a fish tank and it’ll cause havoc wherever it’s put,” Felix answered. “Goldfish are omnivorous which means they eat plants and anything that looks yummy to them; for example, fish eggs.
They tend to uproot plants at the bottom of lakes and stir up dirt which deteriorates the quality of water for other marine creatures. Additionally, they can grow massively and reproduce quickly in the wild. This means they compete for space with the native fishes.”
“That’s right, Felix. I read that in 2013, a 46-cm-long goldfish was caught in California’s Lake Tahoe. This is shocking because a goldfish kept in a tank or aquarium can grow to only about 5 cm!” Verum added.
“Yes, Verum,” Felix said and continued, “And this monstrous problem isn’t just in the US. Even Germany and the United Kingdom have reportedly spotted giant goldfish eating up everything, leaving the native marine animals starving.
Finding the right home for animals is crucial. Without correct information, we may be doing more harm than good to the environment by placing disruptive species in the wrong ecosystems.”