B.C. Invests $1.3 Million in Fight Against Invasive Mussels

In the form of a $1.3 million dollar funding grant, the provincial government is promoting boater awareness and education to fight against the invasive quagga and zebra mussels in the Okanagan.

Photo credit: KelownaNow.

A fitting location for the event, the announcement was made on Tuesday at the Eldorado Marina by Minister of Environment, Mary Polak.

The strengthened invasive mussel defence program will begin in April as the boating season begins to get underway.

The focus for this project will be on education and awareness, explained Polak. The Ministry of Environment is pushing the “Clean, Drain, and Dry” initiative and asking the general public to ensure their boats are not bringing these invasive mussels into the Okanagan.

Photo credit: KelownaNow.com

Matthias Herborg with the Ministry of Environment explained step by step to an interested crowd how to clean, drain, and dry your boat after an afternoon out on the water.

It’s important to ensure any debris, weeds, and excess mud is cleaned off your boat before entering into B.C.’s fresh water lakes and rivers, continued Herbog.

“Picking this stuff up, getting the water out, spraying dirt off the boat before you go to another lake, that’s something we want the public to do. It will stop so many invasive aquatic species,” said Herborg.

Photo credit: KelownaNow.com

The invasive mussels have the ability to attach to hard surfaces and also have a tendency to leave behind microscopic larvae, rendering the mussels very dangerous if exposed to fresh water ecosystems.

Aside from clogging water intake pipes, zebra and quagga mussels can lead to increased maintenance costs for hydroelectricity and domestic water, as well as industrial, agricultural, and recreational facilities.

If we do not get a handle on this situation now, the province could end up spending billions on the repercussions of these invasive creatures, explained Polak.

“Anywhere that there’s an intake pipe of freshwater would be vulnerable to an infestation or a blockage and tremendous costs to deal with that,” added Polak.

Photo credit: KelownaNow.

Aside from increasing education and outreach activities, the $1.3 million dollar in funding will go toward three mobile decontamination units, six trained auxiliary conservation officers, highway signage throughout the province, and expanded monitoring and reporting of polluters.

For example, through this program, boats will coming in from the U.S. and Alberta will be inspected and decontaminated where necessary.

For the general public, fines might be in order, but Polak emphasized that financial discrepancies will be a last resort.

“We want people to report if they have a concern with their boat; we’re not looking to come out and ticket them,” said Polak. “If they think they have an infestation in their boat, we want to come out and help them and show them how to [clean their boats.] We will and can resort to fines and other enforcement opportunities if we find someone who’s just not willing to comply and has no interest in receiving our help.”

Zebra and quagga mussels originated from Europe. They were introduced to Canada in the Great Lakes Region and the United States in the 1980s.

For more information on these invasive mussels and how to properly clean your boat, visit the government website.