Goldfish invade Muskoseepi Pond for the second time

If goldfish are found in the Muskoseepi Park Pond again, Alberta Environment and Parks may stop stocking the water body with trout every year. 

An abundance of the orange “invasive species” were found in the pond in 2016 and, luckily, the province had not had a chance to stock the water yet. In the late spring of 2018, it was noticed that someone had again let their orange pet go into the recreational spot to multiply and since the trout had already been put in, it didn’t make sense to close down the activity of fishing to the public during the summer. Kase DeVries, Environmental Technologist with the City of Grande Prairie, says these fish don’t belong in the wild and they will disrupt ecosystems.

“The big concern here is how close the pond is to Bear Creek or (also known as) Bear River which is connected to the Wapiti River. That is where the concern is with regards to invasive species. If these type of species are released into larger water bodies, it then becomes a provincial or national issue where there is a significant take-over of large ecosystems.”

He says if someone is caught releasing an invasive species, like goldfish, into the wild, it could come at a fine of $100,000 as well as time in prison. The city will be closing down the pond to the public starting September 7 and the closure could last up to six weeks.