In many countries, including Canada, goldfish are considered a pest that is quite dangerous, especially if the number is large. So the explosion of the goldfish population there is considered worrying.
In the City of Ontario, the goldfish population can be said to continue to skyrocket. Photographer Andrew Murray said that as a child, he often saw goldfish living in ponds, but the numbers were not that high.
Well recently, he snapped a few ponds and realized that there were a lot of goldfish there. "When I looked at it on the computer, it was clear that there were thousands and thousands more goldfish," he said.
Researchers from the University of Toronto say many ponds across the province are breeding grounds for goldfish. The pool was originally an anti-flood system.
"They are super invasive animals. What we are seeing is a rapid increase in goldfish throughout Southern Ontario and in fact, throughout Canada," said Professor Nicholas Mandrak, a local scientist.
Goldfish are considered to be the most widespread pest currently in North America. One of the reasons, people consider it harmless and easily released.
"People who throw goldfish into urban ponds may think they are doing a good thing, not killing them. But there shouldn't be any fish in the pond," he said.
The goldfish will prey on insects that are usually in the pond. They breed quickly and have a high appetite, so they fight for food with amphibians and other animals.
When there is a flood, the goldfish will escape into rivers, lakes and other waters. There they will become predators, eating the eggs of other fish. Not only that, goldfish damage habitats and endanger native fish species.
In fact, goldfish have been in the Ontario River since the 19th century. The population that continues to increase in recent times may be related to the increasing number of ponds and the phenomenon of climate change'
"It's only recently that goldfish have become so abundant. We think climate change is involved here. The water and urban ponds are hotter than ever so they're even more suitable for goldfish. As conditions get more extreme, where the water is warm and the oxygen is low, one of the few fish The only ones that can live in that habitat are goldfish," said Mandrake.
