From little things, big things grow and the same applies to pests! In the case of pest fish, what may have started as a misguided act can sometimes spell disaster for our local waterways and precious freshwater biodiversity. 

 

So what do you do when your fish gets sick, is too big for your aquarium tank or fish pond or you just don’t want it anymore? 

 

The answer is not to flush it down the toilet – however apt a ‘watery grave’ may appear and definitely not to release it into your local waterway or dam.

 

Last week an Oscar, which is a species of aquarium fish from the Cichlid family from South America was found in Lake Gregory (the Isis Balancing Storage). The fish was a shock discovery for local stocking enthusiasts and was in very poor condition, luckily making it easy to catch and remove. 

 

“We couldn’t believe that someone could have been so thoughtless,” said Rob Sewell, President of the Bundaberg Sportfishing Club, adding “Over the years, our fish stocking committee have released over 300,000 fingerlings in Lake Gregory, so we were shocked that an act like that could put all our efforts in jeopardy.”

 

The introduced fish may have had a far worse result. Pest fish can carry exotic diseases that may not exist in the native wild fish population or compete with our endemic fish for habitat and food. 

 

A recent example of this was the Tilapia outbreak at Bullyard, which after Queensland Fisheries intervention has been eradicated and hence prevented from entering the Burnett River system. 

 

So what is the right answer? Well first try your aquarium or pet shop and see if they want the fish back. Alternatively another collector may be interested? If the fish is sick, you can try your aquarium or vet for advice. If the fish needs to be disposed of humanely then there are a number of options (excluding the toilet) – the internet is filled with advice on this. One suggestion is the ‘ice shock’ method where the fish is placed in ice slurry – death is instantaneous. The body should then be disposed of thoughtfully.

 

“Addressing Pest Fish is a major management issue. Unlike weeds which can be contained, it’s far harder to contain a pest fish once it gets into our natural waterways and rivers. Prevention is far better than a cure,” said David Brown, CEO of the Burnett Mary Regional Group.

 

If anyone has any information about anyone dumping aquarium fish into our waterways please contact the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol on the free Fish Watch Hotline 1800 107 116.

 

For more information on catchment management or to identify a fish stocking group near you, why not contact the Burnett Mary Regional Group on (07) 4181 2999.