The Town of Olds ñ through the provincial Environment and Parks ministry and a contractor -- plans to kill the estimated 30,000 to 40,000 goldfish living in the Winter Lake stormwater retention pond because they're deemed to be an environmental risk.
In a notice on its Facebook page, the town says other methods to get rid of them have been tried but didn't work.
Goldfish in Winter Lake have been a problem for years and the matter was discussed in a council meeting in April 2016.
The town is also asking residents not to dump goldfish or other fish classified as ìinvasiveî into public waters like Winter Lake. Town officials warn the fine for doing so can be as high as $400,000.
ìGoldfish are not native to Alberta and pose great risk to Alberta's natural ecosystem,î the notice says.
ìThey produce large populations that carry diseases that will harm local fish populations, and are able to tolerate fluctuations in water temperature and low levels of oxygen.
ìThey eat (other) fish eggs, plants, and plankton which is a food source for native fish species.î
ìEradication is now necessary to prevent the risk of goldfish being carried through overflow outlets into other stormwater ponds and eventually the Alberta river system,î the notice says.
The town notes in early June, efforts were made to get rid of the fish by netting them so they could be utilized as fertilizer in a greenhouse aquaponics system.
ìUnfortunately, the population in Winter Lake is so large they hardly made a difference to the ever-increasing issue the town is faced with,î the notice says.
So in August, Alberta Environment and Parks, in conjunction with a licensed contractor, will be treating the pond with a plant-based chemical called rotenone.
According to the town notice, ìrotenone is a naturally occurring compound that is derived from the roots of a tropical plant of the bean family and has been used to kill fish. It is a registered pesticide with the Federal Pesticide Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA).î
The project is expected to be completed in three or four days. It's expected that followup treatments will be needed over the years to ensure success.
Town officials note Olds is not the only Alberta community battling this problem. It is a problem throughout the province.
"Goldfish are not native to Alberta and pose great risk to Alberta's natural ecosystem."TOWN OF OLDS NOTICE
