Don’t let it loose: Releasing a pet into the wild is the wrong thing to do
Some people mistakenly believe that when their exotic pets get too difficult to manage, it is okay to release them into the wild. But that is exactly the wrong thing to do. Introduced pets — even goldfish — can have devastating effects on native wildlife and ecosystems. In our aquatic ecosystems, they can outcompete sportfish and natives for food and space, prey on native species, and have unforeseeable effects on the food web. Even aquarium pets, once established, can easily take over an aquatic system and negatively impact our native and sportfish populations. While most non-native tropical fish are bright…
