Burnsville Reminds Residents Not To Release Goldfish Into Ponds, Lakes

The city of Burnsville issued a statement reminding residents to keep their pet goldfish in their tanks and out of the city's ponds and lakes.

Burnsville officials wrote in a tweet to the public that the goldfish "grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality."

In the tweet, they also added photos of a large goldfish found in Keller Lake.

The tweet stated:

"Please don't release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes! They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants. Groups of these large goldfish were recently found in Keller Lake."

According to WCCO, the city of Chaska is also encountering the same issue. Last month, they began their three-year plan to manage the goldfish and keep them out of the Minnesota River.

Minnesota has multiple state laws to minimize the spread of invasive species throughout the state. According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, goldfish are regulated invasive species, meaning that "it is legal to possess, sell, buy, and transport regulated invasive species, but they may not be introduced into a free-living state, such as being released or planted in public waters."