Invasive Prussian carp species found in Sylvan Lake prompts awareness campaign

“These things are now established in Sylvan Lake,” he said. “They’ve been hiding very well. To be 13-14 inches in length, weighing three pounds, those things are not babies. They’re fully grown, very mature adult fish. It’s just nobody had seemed to catch them.”

He said these types of fish can take over a lake once they’re adapted. They eat the vegetation, eggs from other fish species, compete with other fish, and can live in all sorts of different environments that other fish might not live in.

“It’s a real concern,” he said.

(Image Credit: David Wasiuta/Supplied)

Wasiuta explained that after speaking with government experts, there’s no way to know for sure how they got into Sylvan Lake.

Now he’s on a mission to promote community awareness of the invasive species in hopes of removing them from the lake and hopefully learn of the impact it could have on Sylvan Lake.

His fishing group is currently working with the Alberta government’s Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, as well as the Town of Sylvan Lake, to begin their public education program.

“If you catch [a Prussian carp] you’re supposed to either dispose of it in the garbage or take it home and eat it,” Wasiuta said.

He didn’t eat the ones he caught, but explained the zoo in Innisfail reached out to him and wants to feed the fish to its bears.

In a statement from the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas press secretary, Kyle Warner, he said they are aware of the presence of Prussian carp in Sylvan Lake.

“Fish samples provided by local residents were recently tested, and results received earlier this week confirmed the species’ presence in the lake,” he said.

“Aquatic invasive species pose a significant risk to Alberta’s environment, economy, and native fish populations. That is why Alberta continues to take a proactive approach to prevention, monitoring, and public awareness. Through the province’s “Catch It, Kill It” campaign, we encourage the public to humanely kill and properly dispose of any Prussian carp caught while fishing. Albertans are also asked to report sightings of Prussian carp to the Aquatic Invasive Species Hotline at 1-855-336-BOAT (2628) and, where possible, provide a clear photo showing the fish’s entire body and fins.”

Furthermore, it is illegal in Alberta to move live fish from one water body to another. Penalties for illegally transferring fish can be up to $100,000 and/or one year in prison. If you witness the suspected intentional release of an aquatic invasive species in Alberta, please call the 24/7 Report A Poacher hotline toll-free at 1-800-642-3800.

Signs have been put up around Sylvan Lake advising the public of what to do with Prussian carp if caught while fishing. (Image Credit: David Wasiuta/Supplied)

Nicole Kimmel, aquatic invasive species specialist with the ministry, told rdnewsNOW that Prussian carp have every competitive advantage over native fish in any water body they make their way into.

“We’ve seen in other water bodies how devastating they can be, so we’re seeing multiple spawning events every summer with thousands of eggs at a time,” she said. “They are very adaptable. They can eat anything they can fit in their mouths, including other fish and can live in harsh conditions with low oxygen and no vegetation.”

Kimmel said they’ve discovered the species in other water bodies in Alberta, such as the Blood Indian Creek Reservoir, where the carp essentially wiped out the trout population.

She said they’ve been receiving reports of potential Prussian carp in Sylvan Lake since 2023, but this is the first time they’ve been able to actually catch a fish to run a sample.

They needed to test a sample to confirm the species because they are very close relatives of the goldfish. When Goldfish are released into the wild, they lose their orange exterior and start to resemble Prussian carp.

She said a few years ago, the Town of Sylvan Lake conducted a successful Goldfish removal in a pond located in the town. She said it’s possible the fish somehow made their way from the pond into the lake at some point.

She said it’s possible the carp made their way into the lake through natural water connections, such as run off, but it’s also possible they were brought by a bird, although it’s a very low percentage. She said they also believe they could have been brought by a human, despite it being illegal.

Kimmel explained that Alberta was the first jurisdiction in North America to confirm the species. We have now shared it with Saskatchewan through our water connections. They originated between Russia and Europe.

“We think when the species came to Alberta, it could have originated through the release of a goldfish that was actually a Prussian carp,” she said.

“They are a bit of an acquired taste and are quite bony, but you can eat them. We are promoting that everyone who’s going to angle for them really needs to follow all of the sport fishing regulations and have a license. There is no catch limit, so you can catch as many as you can angle.”

by Ian Gustafson

Invasive Prussian carp species found in Sylvan Lake prompts awareness campaign

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