The City of Campbell River is launching a campaign after invasive goldfish were found in a stormwater pond.
“Not for the Wild” aims to educate the public on the harm that goldfish can cause to ecosystems. In 2023, the city says it received reports of goldfish in the Erickson Stormwater Pond located in a residential area off Erickson Road.
“The pond is connected to the Willow Creek Watershed, which means any impacts to the pond also impact the watershed,” said the city in a press release.
A few dozen goldfish were found in the pond causing concern due to the fish’s resiliency in various conditions, high reproductive rate and ability to spread.
Yellow irises have also been found in the pond which are also deemed invasive and harmful to the ecosystem.
“While goldfish may seem like harmless house pets, in a pond setting they can grow to the size of a football and damage natural ecosystems,” said the city.
“Meanwhile, irises rapidly form dense cover, blocking native plants from growing and spread thick roots underground that can be very difficult to remove.”
Campbell River says they’re working with the province and federal government to have both species removed. Vegetation removal is expected in May, followed by the fish being removed in the summer.
“These species should never be disposed of in natural environments, and we want to help the public understand why, so that we can maintain healthy ecosystems in our community now and in the future,’ said Steve Roehr, operations manager, utilities at the city.
A website has been launched to help the public better understand the harm in releasing invasives species into the environment.
Oli Herrera
