Minnesota officials say they are finding more and more giant goldfish in the ponds, prompting authorities to appeal to citizens to stop illegally dumping unwanted fish into ponds and lakes.
Goldfish, which can grow to the size of a soccer ball, compete with local species for food and increase the amount of algae in lakes. Officials in the suburb of Burnsville found 10 fish in Lake Keller earlier this month during a water quality survey.
18 additional fish were found on Monday. Some were 46 centimeters long and weighed about 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms).
“Please do not release goldfish into ponds and lakes!” said the city in his twitter. “They grow more than you think, and contribute to water degradation by washing away sediments and uprooting plants.”
Burnsville has partnered with Carp Solutions, a startup company that develops new technologies to combat carp, a major relative of goldfish.
The company uses electric fishing on a boat to catch fish, said founder Przemek Bayer. The wire electrifies the water, and the stunned fish float to the surface, then you need to catch it with a net.
In Burnsville, the fish was finally killed.
Goldfish and carp can survive in frozen lakes and those with very low water quality because they can live without oxygen for long periods of time, according to the Star Tribune. They also appear in wellness lakes.
“I think they’re getting more and more common,” Baher said.
Goldfish and carp can survive in frozen lakes and in lakes with very poor water quality because they can live without oxygen for a long time, according to the Star Tribune. They also appear in healthier lakes. “I think they’re getting more and more common,” Badger said.