ASHLAND, Va. — If you're considering dumping your live goldfish into a lake, pond or other public body of water you may want to reconsider -- it's not a good idea.
Virginia Wildlife said a man from Chesterfield, Jeremy Fortner, caught a football-sized goldfish out of Hunting Creek. That's a lake that flows into the Potomac River.
The fish weighed 3 pounds and 9 ounces, measuring 16 inches with a girth of almost 15 inches. An average goldfish that lives in a small tank would probably grow no larger than about 5 inches and would weigh much less than a pound.
A spokesperson for VA Wildlife said it's been a recent issue of pet owners releasing their goldfish into public waters in Hampton Roads. They said the bright color of the fish causes them to become an easy target for natural predators; they get eaten fast and it impacts the population.
The fish Fortner caught was taken to the Green Top Sporting Goods located in Ashland, VA. That's where it received its biologist verification and was recognized as the Virginia Archery State Record Goldfish.
Wildlife officials are reminding Virginians that it is illegal in the state to introduce goldfish to waterbodies as "unforeseen impacts can occur." This could include disease and competition.
Author's Note: The video above is on file from May 23, 2021.
