JACKSON (WNE) — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has made its annual plea to the public to not release unwanted goldfish obtained at a county fair into the wild.

Releasing goldfish and other exotic species into waterways is illegal and can have detrimental impacts to the environment. Goldfish are hardy, can survive Wyoming winters, reproduce with haste and are difficult to remove. They harm the fishery by introducing diseases and competing with native species for food and resources.

“Given the serious impacts an illegal fish introduction can have on a fishery, this crime carries some of the highest penalties that exist for wildlife violations,” said Darren Rhea, Game and Fish’s fisheries supervisor for the Jackson region.

The penalty for illegally introducing fish in Wyoming can include lifetime loss of hunting and fishing privileges, a fine of up to $10,000 and up to a year in jail.

Members of the public are encouraged to report sightings of goldfish in the wild.

Wildlife managers encourage those with unwanted goldfish to research potential new homes for their pet or to euthanize unwanted pets in a humane fashion. The most humane way to euthanize a fish is to freeze it.

There are examples of invasive goldfish populations across the state, including locally at Kelly Warm Spring and some of its downstream areas. Game and Fish and Grand Teton National Park fisheries biologists have used chemicals to kill goldfish in the spring.

Last August, Game and Fish staff caught a goldfish in the Wayne May Park pond after receiving a tip from someone who spotted multiple fish in the pond.

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