Town works to rid goldfish from pond
It’s the end of the line for Okotoks’ rogue goldfish.
Thousands of the aquarium fish are being scooped out of an Okotoks storm water pond this week in an effort to rid the town of the illegally dumped species.
The largest one netted so far was 29 centimetres (11.5 inches) long, weighing 920 grams (two pounds) — roughly the size and weight of a guinea pig.
“This is one little pond and yet there’s thousands in there. It probably all started from just a few fish,” said Okotoks parks manager Christa Michailuck.
The Drake Landing and Crystal Ridge storm ponds were treated last week with a plant-based chemical pesticide called rotenone and once the fish began to die, Okotoks parks staff started netting them.
They are being taken to the Foothills Regional Landfill.
The town has been working with Alberta Environment and Parks to eliminate the goldfish from both storm water ponds after discovering hundreds of fish living in the ponds in spring 2015, apparently dumped there by local residents.
“I think people didn’t know it would be a problem,” said Michailuck.
“And there’s a lack of understanding, too, that the ponds are connected to the Sheep River. That’s the concern — a pond is a drop in the bucket compared to the river system.
“It could prove to be a major threat to bull trout and cutthroat trout.”
Goldfish can live as long as 10 years, they eat native fish eggs and plants and also may carry bacteria and disease.
Okotoks isn’t the only municipality dealing with itinerant goldfish.
There are reports of them in urban storm water ponds from Fort McMurray to Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
To deal with the increasing problem, the province initiated an awareness campaign in spring called “Don’t let it loose” to warn about the dangers of releasing pet fish into storm ponds or even flushing them down the toilet.
Last week Alberta Environment trained and certified staff from Okotoks, Calgary and other municipalities on how to use rotenone if they have recurring problems.