SerpApi.Org
July 22 (UPI) -- The government of Alberta is issuing an important reminder to owners of pet goldfish in the province: Don't let it loose.
The province's "Don't Let It Loose" campaign was launched after more than 100 incidents of the invasive fish being found in Alberta waterways.
"This isn't because people are flushing them down the toilet and they're making their way to the waterways," Nicole Kimmel, Alberta's invasive species specialist, told CBC News. "People are actually intentionally dumping them into our waterways, and they are overwintering and thriving and finding ways to reproduce."
The campaign is reminding residents that releasing invasive species, including goldfish, into waterways carries fines of up to $70,900 and up to a year in prison.
"Never release anything into the water that it didn't come from," Kimmel said. "People might think that they're just dumping goldfish, but actually they might be introducing snails, fish disease, plant fragments that can also take over a water body in Alberta."
The Alberta Ministry of the Environment said some goldfish found in the province have grown up to 15 inches long.
"With abundant food and no tank-size limitations, they grow fast and compete with native species for habitat," the ministry said.
