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By Lisa Parent

ENVIRONMENT

Medicine Hat College instructor warns against dumping invasive goldfish in ponds

Jun 3, 2024 | 5:38 PM

Medicine Hat College on Monday received a report of invasive goldfish or koi in its pond beside the Cultural Centre.

“We are currently in the process of engaging with a consultant to confirm the presence of goldfish and provide us with recommendations,” the college’s facility operations department told CHAT News in a statement.

A reporter with CHAT News was able to visually confirm there were goldfish in the pond.

Although goldfish can look cute in a fish-tank, in a pond they can grow up to a foot long and threaten native species.

Morgan Wall, a biology instructor at Medicine Hat College says goldfish can withstand harsh and cold conditions.

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Female goldfish can clone themselves and lay thousands of eggs each summer, meaning they spread quickly.

Wall says rather than illegally releasing goldfish into the wild, try to rehome it, or see if a pet store will take it.

“There’s just so many other options that will not have these kind of catastrophic impacts on our natural systems,” said Wall.

“We love our pond here on the college, we love our natural areas in Medicine Hat, so it’s really in our best interest if we want to keep those healthy and beautiful to not interfere.”

Last fall, CHAT News reported on goldfish being dumped in a pond in North East Crescent Heights.

The same issue occured in Leinweber pond the year prior.