The city of Campbell River plans to remove invasive species in a local pond.
The city says they found goldfish in the Erickson Stormwater Pond, a pond that collects rainwater during high inflows to regulate its re-entry into the environment.
This comes as reports came in about goldfish in the pond, with a survey finding a few dozen of these fish last year.
Because goldfish can grow to the size of a football and damage natural ecosystems, the city is planning on removing them.
Operations manager Steve Roehr says situations like this are present in all natural areas.
“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 Roehr.
The city says the work will include vegetation removal, sediment assessment, and sump pump installation, followed by removing the fish in the summer.
In the meantime, they have launched the Not for Wild campaign, aiming to educate residents on the risks of releasing invasive species into the environment.
