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By Ashley Lavallee-Koenig

GOLDFISH INVASION

Sylvan Lake council fishes for long-term solution to invasive aquatic species

May 15, 2024 | 3:32 PM

Sylvan Lake town council has passed a proposal to Alberta Environment seeking approval for municipalities to use the powdered form of an approved pesticide to control invasive populations of goldfish in stormwater ponds.

Currently, liquid rotenone is the only pesticide approved by Alberta Environment for dealing with invasive aquatic species. The only North American manufacturer of the product shut down in 2022.

Monique Johnson, environmental services manager for the public works division, says they were first made aware that residents were tossing their unwanted golden pets into stormwater ponds in May of 2023. The cause for concern stems from the fact that these bodies of water connect to Sylvan Lake without any treatment, which can result in the goldfish entering an ecosystem they have no place in.

Specifically, they have a long lifespan of 30-40 years, transmit disease, produce more rapidly than native species, and consume the offspring and food sources for these species.

“When we’re battling an invasive species such as goldfish, we have limited options in our control measures. That would be manual removal, chemicals, i.e. pesticides, or biological — introducing walleye or pike, or another biological control method,” explains Johnson.

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Given the challenges faced in sourcing liquid rotenone, and the ethical issues behind introducing pike or walleye to a pond with no ecosystem for them, council turned to physical removal first.

In October 2023, they began the arduous process of removing goldfish from the Lakeway Landing Storm Pond, then draining most of the water and scraping the bottom to eliminate remaining eggs. Despite removing about 12,000 goldfish successfully, it became clear the project was unsuccessful when the ice cleared this spring, revealing a new population.

“It’s also very hard for staff. This is not a problem that the goldfish created, this is a problem the humans created and here we are,” says Johnson. “We’re environmentalists, so to cull, ultimately, was a very draining task emotionally, physically. You want to have that positive at the end like, ‘It worked! We did it!’ but unfortunately we’re still battling.”

They have recently managed to source liquid rotenone from the Atlantic Salmon Federation in New Brunswick and expect it to arrive shortly. The treatment needs to be applied in two rounds, with the assistance of an environmental consultant and an approved pesticide applicator, so they do not yet have a timeline for the project’s completion, says Johnson.

Despite this, council moved forward with the powder proposal on May 13, for the benefit of other municipalities.

“That doesn’t resolve the problem for other municipalities in Alberta or in Canada. Many of them are in the same position as we are in Sylvan,” says Johnson.

Rotenone’s function is to prevent gilled creatures from properly taking up oxygen, a process that does not harm plants or amphibians, Johnson explains.

“We are expecting to have a complete eradication after the pesticide application and from that point forward it becomes a monitoring and education effort,” she says.

Sylvan Lake residents are strongly urged to stop dumping or flushing their unwanted pet goldfish into the waterways and stormwater ponds. Officials say unwanted pets should be re-homed or returned to a pet store if possible. As a last resort, a local SPCA or animal shelter can be contacted to see if surrendering is possible.

“Just don’t do it… be responsible. Fish, much like your cat and dog, they’re pets,” urges Johnson. “All creatures deserve that consideration in life.”

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