Don't Let it Loose!

That goldfish you may have won at the county fair?  When the joy of winning it wears off, some folks may think the best place for it is in a city pond or a local reservoir.  It’s not.  The Wyoming Game and Fish Department wants to remind the public about the damaging impacts of releasing pet fish into local waterways.     

While it may seem harmless, releasing goldfish and other exotic species into the environment carries significant ecological risks and is unlawful under Wyoming statutes and regulations. And it’s illegal.  Goldfish are resilient; they can not only survive Wyoming’s harsh winters but also reproduce rapidly, creating nuisance populations that are difficult to manage. By aggressively competing with native species for food and resources, goldfish disrupt aquatic ecosystems and can introduce harmful diseases.     

These new populations can quickly become invasive and are often extremely hard to eradicate from the landscape. Many exotic pets are able to carry disease, and they may introduce pathogens or parasites into the area. Released pets often compete with native species already in the ecosystem for food and other resources, decreasing native populations.  Many native fish could die off completely in these conditions, potentially ruining a fishery.     

The introduction of non-native species threatens the health of local waters and diverts resources that should be focused on protecting the region’s native species.  Given the serious impacts an illegal fish introduction can have on a fishery, this crime carries some of the highest penalties that exist for wildlife violations.  If you find yourself with a goldfish you can no longer care for, please follow the C.A.R.E.  guidelines found on the Game and Fish website under “fishing and boating” and then click on the aquatic invasive species link.       

The public is asked to report any sightings of goldfish in local waters.