September 13, 2024
In previous newsletter articles (April 2024), SWOA reported on the advocacy by various organizations on the need for government to maintain or increase their monitoring of boats that potentially could introduce zebra and Quagga mussels into BC waters. Projected annual losses, (both financial and ecological) that would be incurred should these mussels become established in our BC lakes have been estimated by the provincial government to be between $64 and $129 million dollars. The potential economic loss alone supports a decision to continue or increase the effort to prevent these aquatic invasive species from becoming established in BC. SWOA has, in the past, lobbied both the Provincial and Federal governments to increase there monitoring efforts (and budgets) in this regard. Recently the Okanogan Water Board established a working group composed of government, industry and lobby organizations to continue to lobby governments to at least maintain their funding of the Mussel Defence Program or, preferably, increase monitoring and inspection efforts to ensure the mussels do not become established west of the Rockies. Currently the mussels have become established as far west as Manitoba in Canada and in Idaho in the US (although efforts have been made to treat the Snake River in Idaho and monitoring work undertaken to determine if the treatment was effective).
The most recent meeting of the Shuswap Watershed Council received a briefing from the BC Government on the Invasive Mussel Defence work in 2024:
- There were 6 highway-side. (fixed location) inspection stations and 2 roving inspection crews in B.C.
- A total of 19,800 watercraft were inspected, and
- 8 watercrafts were confirmed to have adult mussels and were quarantined.
In comparison, in 2022:
- There were 8 highway-side inspection sites and 2 roving inspection crews.
- A total of 20,100 watercraft were inspected.
- 13 watercrafts were confirmed to have adult mussels and were quarantined.
While these statistics are somewhat reassuring, it is SWOA’s view that these efforts should be increased to maintain the fixed station monitoring sites on a 24/7 basis throughout the spring, summer and fall months.
What can you do? Practice the Clean Drain and Dry steps with your own watercraft and if you observe a mussel infected vessel at a local boat launch, immediately report to the BC Conservation Branch on their “don’t pollute hotline (1-877-952-7277).