Did you flush?

2015 BC Aquarium Enthusiasts Survey ResultsElaine LumMiami University

Survey Objectives• Determine level and type of interactions with

aquariums

• Assess attitude and practice in disposal of unwanted aquatic species

• Evaluate level of awareness of invasive species

Who participated in the survey?67 participants

GenderAge

Who participated in the survey?

Type Size

What kinds of tanks or ponds do BC aquarists own?

Where to BC aquarists get their aquatic species?

What are the top reasons for giving up an aquatic species?

What do BC aquarists do with unwanted aquatic organisms?

These are proper disposal

methods of unwanted non-

native aquatic species

58%

66%

22%

41%

return to vendor

euthanize

bring to a rescue organization

dispose in trash

% surveyed

What do BC aquarists do with unwanted aquatic organisms?

While aquariums and zoos are good choices for donation of unwanted species, schools and fish hobbyists are associated with behaviour that could lead to the spread of invasive aquatic organisms. (Bobeldyk, Rüegg, & Lamberti, 2015; Gertzen, Familiar, & Leung, 2008; Gartner et al., 2011)

% surveyed

Ensure that whomever receives the aquatic organism is aware of proper disposal methods for non-native aquatic species.

What do BC aquarists do with unwanted aquatic organisms?

Did you know?Diseased fish can have microscopic parasites

that spread in the water to infect other aquatic

organisms.Earle & Hintz, 2014

Click on the logo to find out more

about why pets should never be

released in the wild.

% surveyed

Invasive aquatic species have caused losses of up to

$5.7 billion USD.(Lovell, Stone, & Fernandez, 2006)

An average of 15 new aquatic invasive species

become established in Canada every decade

(Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2003)

Click on the image to see this pamphlet

Did you know?

Survey participants were asked to provide their definition of invasive species and scored on the following criteria:

Invasive species are non-native

Invasive species propogate quickly and displace native species

Invasive species negatively impact ecosystems

Invasive species have negative economic or other social/health impacts

(Verbrugge, Leuven, van Valkenburg, & van den Born, 2014)

How was awareness of invasive species assessed?

Some examples of survey responses

Species not native to our area

A non-native species living and reproducing in a given ecosystem.

Non-native species that have been introduced that is causing a detrimental effect on the local native ecosystem.

Non-native species that are released or brought into another environment that can propagate, threatening our native species, causing ecological harm and possibly spreading disease.

Survey participants were also asked to identify an invasive species in BC. Here are the top 4 species named.

How was awareness of invasive species assessed?

1. Northern snakehead

3. American bullfrog

4. Common carp

2. Red eared slider turtle

Did survey participants get it right? Click on the images to find out more.

How did survey participants score on their awareness of

invasive species?

Survey participants scored themselves higher than their evaluated score, based on their definition of invasive species and ability to correctly identify an invasive species in BC.

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

Evaluated Awareness Self-assessed Awareness

What do you think?

What should be done to help aquarists properly dispose of unwanted species?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section below

Should labelling of potentially invasive aquatic species be mandatory for pet stores and other aquatic retailers?

Should the government go even further and ban the sale of all potentially invasive aquatic species?

Please watch the video on BC invasive species coming up next

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Invasive Species Council of BC and its partners at the BC Ministry of Environment in providing their expertise during the survey design process and the following organizations for their support in promoting the 2015 BC Aquarium Enthusiasts Survey:

• BCAquaria Fish Forum, BC, Canada• The Canada Koi Club of BC• The Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs• The Greater Victoria Aquaria Society• The Vancouver Aquatic Hobbyist Society• Vancouver Area Killie club

References

Bobeldyk, A., Rüegg, J., & Lamberti, G. (2015). Freshwater hotspots of biological invasion are a function of species-pathway interactions. Hydrobiologia, 746(1), 363-373.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2003). A Canadian Action Plan to Address the Threat of Aquatic Invasive Species.

Earle, G., & Hintz, W. (2014). New Approaches for Controlling Saprolegnia parasitica, the Causal Agent of a Devastating Fish Disease. Tropical Life Sciences Research, 25(2), 101-109

Gartner, H., Herborg, L. M., Root, S., Brimsmead, J., Jacoby, C., Siemens, T., . . . Chan, S. (2011). Live organisms used in the classroom as a potential vector of species introductions in British Columbia. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 2973.

Gertzen, E., Familiar, O., & Leung, B. (2008). Quantifying invasion pathways: fish introductions from the aquarium trade. Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 65(7), 1265-1273.

Invasive Species Council of British Columbia. (2016). Retrieved from http://bcinvasives.ca/

Lovell, S. J., Stone, S. F., & Fernandez, L. (2006). The economic impacts of aquatic invasive species: A review of the literature. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 35(1), 195-208.

Lum, E. (2015). Survey of British Columbia aquarium enthusiasts with regard to invasive species awareness and disposal of unwanted aquatic species. (Masters' Project), Miami University, Ohio.

Province of BC. (2015). September 30, Invaders! Invasive Species in BC. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Ds8aFh8hM

Verbrugge, L. N. H., Leuven, R. S. E. W., van Valkenburg, J. L. C. H., & van den Born, R. J. G. (2014). Evaluating stakeholder awareness and involvement in risk prevention of aquatic invasive plant species by a national code of conduct. Aquatic Invasions, 9(3), 369-381.