Monday March 6, 2023
Prince George Citizen —
Goldfish — some nearly as big as a football — are invading British Columbia’s lakes and quickly spreading, putting native fish populations at risk, a researcher says.
Brian Heise, an associate professor in the department of natural resource sciences at Thompson Rivers University, says thousands of large, invasive goldfish have multiplied in bodies of water around the province.
“They’re not the little fish you see in the pet store. They actually get quite large, and they have the potential to get even larger, especially probably in some warmer, more productive waters,” he said.
Heise, a former chair of the Invasive Species Council of B.C., said female goldfish, often illegally dumped by people looking to get rid of a pet, can release 50,000 eggs at a time, three times a summer.