Invasive fish species reported in Nova Scotia for first time, DFO says
An invasive fish species has been found in a small waterway north of New Germany, N.S., according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
A single egg-bearing Oriental weatherfish, also known as pond loach, was discovered in Morgans Falls last month.
The fish originate in East Asia, and this is the first time the species has been reported in the Maritimes.
DFO said the fish was likely introduced after being released from an aquarium.
Ken Donnelly, the supervisor of the Nova Scotia Invasive Species Council, said when an invasive species makes its way into ecosystems, it's often due to human activity.
He said pond loach are a popular aquarium species and can cause issues when released into bodies of water the fish aren't known to be in.
"There are good intentions by people when they let animals go into the wild," Donnelly said, "but they should never, never do it. It's just a recipe for disaster."
Donnelly said releasing a new species can cause habitat destruction and unnecessary competition for food and resources, which in turn can reduce populations.
Pond loaches are freshwater fish described as having an elongated, eel-like body, with a small mouth that has six to eight barbels, or whiskers. The fish are light brown to green with scattered dark speckles and a light underbelly.
In a statement, DFO said pond loach has also been reported in southern British Columbia, but they are not aware of its presence anywhere else in Canada.
Unless authorized by law, it's illegal to release an aquatic species into a body of water that it's not native to.
MORE TOP STORIES
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Air quality alerts issued for Southeast Michigan because of Canadian wildfire smoke
Smoke from Canadian wildfires is leading to very unhealthy air quality for much of Michigan, including all of Southeast Michigan. As of noon Thursday, Detroit has the fifth-worst air quality in the world. NEXT Weather/CBS Detroit An air quality alert is in effect for all of Southeast Michigan until noon on Friday. NEXT Weather/CBS Detroit NEXT Weather/CBS Detroit At one point, there were 150,000 acres on fire in parts of Canada. Nearly 100 of the fires have led to dangerous smoke. NEXT Weather/CBS Detroit Anyone with respiratory issues, including the elderly and the very young, could have difficulty breathing. With the air quality level of concern bordering between unhealthy for sensitive groups and unhealthy for all, the smoke in the air is equivalent to smoking approximately three cigarettes in a 24-hour period. NEXT Weather/CBS Detroit Most of the rain from Wednesday night and early Thursday is coming to an end. Now, more smoke is moving in from Canada. Smoke was also trapped in our atmosphere from thick cloud cover overnight.
Fast Company
3 hours ago
- Fast Company
Canada's wildfire season is off to a destructive start. This satellite data shows just how bad
While images of wildfires capture their ferocity, data can provide insight into how bad a fire season is. Such is the case with two graphics, powered by satellite data, that showcase a Canadian wildfire season off to a wild—and scary—start. Twice a day a NASA satellite sends images to the ground, giving a real-time view of where fires are burning. This is especially useful for remote areas where no sensors are stationed. As of Tuesday that satellite had picked up four times as many fire hot spots across Canada than is typical for early June. That's more than any year since the satellite began transmitting in 2012, except 2023, according to data from Global Forest Watch. Though the satellite has recorded thousands of hot spots so far this year, that does not mean there are actually that many active fires. Each hot spot could be detected repeatedly over the course of days. And because each detection is about the size of 26 football fields, it can represent part of a much larger blaze, said James MacCarthy, wildfire research manager at Global Forest Watch. Based on data from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, about 200 fires are actively burning in Canada and have consumed about 7,700 square miles (19,900 square kilometers) of terrain, most of it in the last week. Only 2023 saw such high numbers so early in Canada's fire season, which runs from April through October. That year wildfires burned a record 67,000 square miles—more than twice the surface area of Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. Taken together, the hot spots and acres burned mean 2025 is the second-worst start to the season in years. 'A warm and dry finish to May and early June has created a significant fire season,' said Liam Buchart, a fire weather specialist with the Canadian Forest Service. The weather conditions are made more likely by climate change and encourage wildfires to start. That means even though 90% of wildfires in Manitoba this year have been human-caused, according to the provincial government, climate change helps enable their spread. 'Climate change is creating the conditions that make it more likely that human-caused fires are going to spread, or even start,' MacCarthy said. 'It might be a human starting it, but it's going to spread quickly because now there's hot and dry conditions that are occurring more frequently and more intensely than they have in the past.' The hot and dry weather is likely to to continue for at least the next week across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, according to Natural Resources Canada. The agency's forecasts also call for 'a warmer and drier than normal July and August for large portions of Canada,' Buchart said. 'The remainder of the fire season looks to remain above normal, especially over the northern prairie provinces and southern British Columbia,' he said.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Air quality alert in effect for Chicago area due to Canadian wildfires
As wildfires continue to rage in western Canada, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its first alert of the year for the Chicago area. The EPA is warning wildfire smoke will cause particle pollution on Thursday. This can bring potential health hazards to anyone with respiratory or pulmonary disorders. The air quality index is at 154 in the orange category. For reference, "good" air quality in the green category is an index of 0 to 50. In Illinois, an alert is prompted only when air quality is forecasted to be at or above the orange category for two or more consecutive days. The action day includes Cook County, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Grundy, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. The Canadian fires began in mid-May. Officials declared a state of emergency in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where crews and military forces were battling this week to try to contain dozens of out-of-control fires. There have been dozens of active fires and over 33,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes. So far, two people have died.
