Hundreds of goldfish pulled from P.E.I. river

P.E.I. wildlife officials recently hauled 220 goldfish — an invasive species — from a local river, which they believe had recently been released there.

A conservation officer spotted the fish in a pond just below a dam and reported their presence.

The fish were isolated in the pond, and officials used special electrical gear to stun them so they could be removed.

"We really don't want to see them in our rivers at all," said provincial freshwater fisheries biologist Roseanne MacFarlane.

"They could be carrying diseases or parasites that might affect our native fish. And they also take up space in a river. So they're competing with other fish that are there for food and space. And they can simply become a nuisance in some areas. If they get into a pond and they are constantly rooting in the bottom to get their food, they can create turbid conditions."

The fish were euthanized, which is commonly done by a knock on the head.

MacFarlane said no very young fish were collected, so she doesn't believe they'd been there long enough to start breeding and suspects they were released as a group.