23rd January 2007, 07/22
Something fishy going on...
Goldfish may look innocent enough but if they are released into
ponds they can cause a whole host of problems for the local
wildlife.
Just recently thirty goldfish were removed from a public pond at
Pond Close in Tarleton thanks to the quick actions of West
Lancashire District Council, the Community Pond Warden Scheme and
the Environment Agency.
Residents had grown concerned over the summer when they spotted a
number of goldfish swimming around their local pond.
Although harmless in a fish tank or garden pond, releasing fish
into other ponds, ditches, rivers or lakes, is extremely
detrimental to other pond life. Goldfish can quickly grow in size
and numbers and can carry diseases and parasites that are not
normally present in wild fish populations, leading to large numbers
of our wild native fish dying.
Goldfish also eat many other pond species and are seen as one of
the major factors causing the decline of the endangered great
crested newt, along with species of dragonflies and frogs.
Luckily the residents sought advice from the Community Pond Warden
Scheme and, working closely with site owners the District Council,
the Environment Agency, removed the fish and found them and a new
home in a suitable garden pond.
Cllr John Baldock, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: "This is
an excellent example of how partnership working can help to protect
our local environment."
"I'd like to pass on the Council's thanks to the local residents
who have been keeping a watchful eye on this wildlife site.
Releasing goldfish into a pond may seem trivial but it could have
had a terrible effect on local wildlife and it is vital that people
are aware that fish cannot simply be released anywhere."
Community Pond Warden Project Officer, Becca Cleaver, said: "It
is likely that these goldfish were unwanted pets, released into the
pond without a thought for the effect on the ecology of the pond.
Goldfish are a particular problem because they can crossbreed with
our native crucian carp, breeding so successfully that only hybrid
offspring are produced."
"We have lost thousands of ponds in Lancashire, and many of those
left are made unsuitable for wildlife. But people can help by
seeking advice before they do anything with a pond or by becoming a
Pond Warden and looking after local ponds."
Darren Wilson, Fisheries Adviser for the Environment Agency, said:
"Far from being the 'humble' fish of popular perception, the
goldfish could be more damaging than the alien grey squirrel and
the American signal crayfish that have devastated native red
squirrel and crayfish numbers. Releasing ornamental fish into the
environment is an offence, but many people are unaware of the
law."
Photograph: Darren Wilson, the Environment Agency Fisheries Officer
removing the goldfish at Pond Close, Tarleton.
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