Tiny Goldfish Create Monster Problem If Released In Fresh Water

MEDICAL LAKE, WA — “Swim, fishy, swim,” you may think as you free your little aquarium goldfish into natural waters. What’s the harm? Plenty, it turns out.

Wildlife officials are wrestling with a giant-sized goldfish problem at an eastern Washington lake, where the once-small fish have grown to the size of footballs and are choking out native species and stirring up all kinds of problems in the ecosystem.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates it may cost up to $150,000 to eradicate feral goldfish from West Medical Lake, and it’s all because you thought you were doing a good thing for the fish, or simply no longer wanted to care for an aquarium.

Goldfish are tiny members of the carp family, and are among the world’s most invasive fish species. They have voracious appetites, compete with native fish for food and other resources, and cause a host of other problems, including encouraging algae blooms that disrupt the local ecosystem. They also introduce parasites and diseases that can threaten native species.

Supersized goldfish aren’t just a problem in Washington, according to a Business Insider report that cited infestations in Europe, Canada and closer to home in Lake Tahoe, […]

Full article: Tiny Goldfish Create Monster Problem When Released In Fresh Water