Aquarium animals must not be released into the wild

The Office for the Environment informs, together with Swiss cantons, why the release of non-native animals and plants from aquariums and garden ponds is prohibited, what to consider when making a purchase, and what solutions exist when one can no longer keep or does not wish to keep animals and plants.

It repeatedly happens that animals or plants from aquariums and garden ponds are disposed of in streams, rivers or ponds. The majority of aquarium and garden pond organisms cannot survive in our waters. That small proportion which is able to establish itself can cause significant damage as an invasive species. Released goldfish or red-eared slider turtles, for example, consume entire ponds and thereby threaten rare amphibian and insect species. Released large crayfish from North America transmit the so-called crayfish plague, a disease that is fatal to native crayfish. Aquarium plants, such as Brazilian water milfoil, can also be problematic, as they grow very quickly and form dense, carpet-like stands. It is therefore prohibited to release non-native animals and plants into bodies of water in the wild.

Recommendations for persons with aquariums, pets and garden ponds

The Office for the Environment and the Swiss cantons provide information on their websites and other channels about this problem and issue recommendations for persons who can no longer keep or do not wish to keep their aquariums or garden ponds. The most important principle is: Even before making a purchase, one should consider whether the time required for care and maintenance will be available in the long term and how longer absences, such as during the summer holidays, can be managed.

Recommendations if one can no longer keep animals or plants:

• Look for a new home among friends or on a reputable sales platform, or contact a rescue shelter.
• If no other solution can be found: Contact a veterinary practice.
• Dispose of aquatic plants in the trash or at a professional composting facility.
• Dispose of water from aquariums via the wastewater system (not in storm drains).

Neobiota refers to plant (neophytes), animal (neozoa) and fungal (neomycetes) species that appeared in the wild and reproduced outside their original range after the year 1492 (1500) as a result of human activity. Many of these species compete with native species and thus pose a threat to biodiversity, endanger our health, damage infrastructure and buildings, or lead to yield losses in agricultural production.

In search of the Apron in the Doubs

The Apron is a fish living in the Doubs that is threatened with extinction. Its population has declined sharply over the past 20 years. This summer, the FOEN and the Canton of Jura, in cooperation with conservation organizations, will attempt to catch the last remaining Aprons still living in the Doubs. To this end, visual surveys will be carried out in areas of the Doubs where the species was recently observed, and genetic traces in the water will be sought. The results of these investigations will serve as the basis for developing a new strategy for the conservation of the Apron.

The Apron lives exclusively in the Rhône basin, and in Switzerland only in the Doubs. However, over the past 20 years the population in the Doubs has declined significantly. In order to preserve the species, new research efforts are now being launched. In July and August, visual surveys (during the day and at night) will be conducted at three locations in the Doubs where the Apron was recently sighted. If Aprons are spotted, they will be captured and transferred to aquariums at Aquatis (Lausanne). These surveys will be supplemented by water analyses, in which the species will be searched for at approximately 20 stations along the Doubs using environmental DNA. This method detects genetic traces in the water.

The results of the investigations serve to define the new strategy for preserving the species in the Doubs and in particular to establish the specifications for a possible reintroduction campaign for the apron. The monitoring is part of the national action plan for the Doubs from 2016, launched by the federal government and the cantons of Jura and Neuchâtel.

The Roi du Doubs, a protected species

The Rhône streber (Zingel asper) is a critically endangered small fish that is strictly protected throughout Europe under the Bern Convention. It is among the most endangered vertebrates in Europe. In Switzerland, the species occurs only in the Doubs loop (Jura sector of the Doubs), which harbours the northernmost European population. The results of the monitoring programme for the apron in the Doubs (2000 to 2020) show that the species has become rarer. In 2020, no apron was sighted within the scope of the monitoring. In 2021, only a single one was discovered. More on this topic Species conservation. 

You can help all animals and our planet with compassion. Choose empathy on your plate and in your glass. Go vegan.