Fisheries and Oceans shared a few photos on Twitter showing just how massive pet goldfish have gotten after being released into Lake Ontario.
Ever wonder what happens to pet goldfish when they end up in our waterways? This one was pulled from Hamilton Harbour, where we’re studying this #InvasiveSpecies using acoustic transmitter tags. pic.twitter.com/GFCsBcIadV
— Fisheries and Oceans (@FishOceansCAN) November 30, 2021
Fisheries and Oceans is a Canadian government department that manages the country’s oceans and inland waters and through their research, they provide officials with information that will help them better control and assess marine ecosystems.
The photos showed multiple jumbo-sized goldfish taken out of Hamilton Harbour, which is a bay on the western tip of Lake Ontario.
released into ponds. That’s why it’s important to never ?release pets into the wild. Learn more about how to prevent the spread of aquatic #InvasiveSpecies https://t.co/QQXjySzQRn pic.twitter.com/9ucDQGR9ks
— Fisheries and Oceans (@FishOceansCAN) November 30, 2021
The research project uses acoustic transmitter tags to track the movements of the invasive goldfish and they hope the data gathered will aid them with controling the invasive species.
“Ever wonder what happens to pet goldfish when they end up in our waterways?” Fisheries and Oceans Canada tweeted. “By tracking these goldfish, we’ve learned that they’re breeding in Hamilton Harbour and targeting key spawning sites for native species like Northern Pike, tearing up aquatic plants for food, and clouding the waters with their waste.”
The fish are notorious for uprooting plants, stirring up sediment, aggressively bottom feeding, and degrading water conditions for other species.
Fisheries and Oceans are pursuing high-tech solutions, such as the tagging program used in Hamilton Harbour to limit the goldfish’s impact on the environment. Photos shared by the department show just how big a pet goldfish can grow when illegally released into public waters.