"kathy" wrote in message
...
It is important to remember that critters have a way
of getting out of even a 'closed' system. It doesn't have
to connect to a waterway. Fish eggs are sticky and leave
attached to duck feet and fur and paws. I've heard of kingfishers
flying off with their prize and dropping it, still alive, with many
anguished
kingfisher cries, into another watery environment. Some seeds
will actually do better going thru someone's digestive track
and lots of parasites and vermin go from host to host, land to
air to water, to get around.
My favorite is this parasite that causes an ant to climb to the
tippy top of the grass to be eaten by a passing cow.

Best to err on the side of caution even without the village
council breathing down your neck.

k :-)

Then this would suggest that none of us be allowed to have our own personal
ponds. The fact of the matter is that goldfish would not stand much of a
chance in the wild. They certainly would not last long in any water with
predatory fish which any natural body of water has. I would not release
them in the wild in any case (both because what would be the point and as
you point out there is the issue of what they themselves might be carrying).
Plants are a real serious problem. Water hyacinths are not allowed in
certain states in the U.S.

I guess the question comes down to what is the difference between a backyard
artificial pond and a neighborhood artificial pond.