Powell: If you end up with goldfish, do not release it into the ‘wild’
There aren’t too many adults in the U.S. that at some time or other experienced joy from either owning or watching goldfish.
We may have gotten them at the long extinct five-and-dime variety store. Or maybe they were handed to us in a clear plastic bag at the local fair. Most of us got them as children because they can exist in a simple bowl of water with the poorest oxygen saturation and parents didn’t have to do much to keep them alive. A nearby toilet became a dumping spot for the dead. Today, goldfish are still supplied by some pet retailers.
But like many pets, once the novelty and a bit of wonderment wears off, what does one do with unwanted live goldfish? Sadly, many people take them out to a local pond or small lake and release them. In a short time, the explosively reproductive cyprinid quickly overpopulates its new environment becoming a nuisance species.
Don’t let the word “cyprinid” throw you. Pronounce it “SIP-rin-nid” and you’ll be fine. The word, derived from “Cyprinidae,” refers to a family of freshwater fish species. The word was first used in 1861 and comes from the Greek word “kyprînos” and the Latin word “cyprinus,” both of which mean “carp.”
It is the largest and most diverse fish family representing more then 3,000 species. Thrown in this bucket are the carps, the true minnows and their relatives the barbs and barbels, among many others.
The common goldfish is derived from the wild carp of eastern Asia. The fancy ones you see are all derived from the common goldfish.
Most people in the western U.S. despise carp in our waterways. In the Midwest however, there are still a lot of people who catch and eat carp. They use specific slaughter and smoking techniques that avoid unwanted bones and poor-tasting parts of this bottom feeder.
In Europe, people love fishing for carp and even have tournaments just like Americans do with largemouth bass. Of course, carp as we know them now represented a food source for European immigrants to the U.S. In 1877, the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries began growing carp for planting in waterways.
Where they weren’t planted, they often migrated to or were illegally introduced. In just 23 years, the fish were so prominent that they were considered a nuisance by both sportfishers and public agencies.
Control and eradication of carp, including the common goldfish, is such a biologic nightmare (on par with feral pigs), that most agencies quit trying.
That brings us back to our local ponds. It may seem like a good life lesson for a child who doesn’t know well enough, to release a goldfish in a local pond. It’s not; it’s a public nuisance. And I refer, too, to the adults who illegally plant goldfish because they like to relax in a park or arboretum by watching the psychedelic carp dirty up the place eating tossed white bread.
At one point, Walmart was said to have been responsible for the sale of 30% of tropical, freshwater fish sales in the U.S. They made the decision to stop sales in 2019 because of pressure from consumers concerned about the welfare of the animals. But they weren’t concerned by this invasive species affecting the environment. Some people even bought or stole goldfish from retailers to purposely dump them in local waters to “liberate” the imprisoned animals.
That makes about as much sense as extracting a child from Washtucna and dumping them off in Beijing, saying, “Be free!”
Powell, of Pullman, retired as public information officer for Washington State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Pullman. This column reflects his thoughts and no longer represents WSU. He may be contacted at charliepowell74@gmail.com.
