Province Provides Mussel Money

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Posted on 3/31/2015 by Pete McIntyre 107.5 KISSFM
The BC government is providing 1.3 million dollars to keep invasive mussels from expanding into the province's lakes and rivers. Environment Minister Mary Polak says the funds will be used for early detection and rapid response. "This is a major step in our ongoing efforts to keep the provinces' ecosystems, hydro stations, drinking water facilities and salmon populations safe. It also provides specialized training and summer employment to university students specializing in environmental compliance," Polak told a news conference in Kelowna. The program will start in April and will include three mobile decontamination units, six trained auxiliary conservation officers, and highway signage throughout the province. Other parts of the program incloude expanded monitoring for zebra and quagga mussels, report All Poachers or Polluters response line coverage, and increasing "Clean, Drain, Dry" education and outreach activities. Polak says teams will inspect and, if necessary, decontaminate boats entering B.C. from Alberta and the US. Officials say zebra and quagga mussels pose a significant threat to freshwater ecosystems, and can clog water systems and threaten the tourism industry. Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussels (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) are not native to B.C. Both species originate from Europe. They were introduced to Canada (in the Great Lakes region) and the United States in the 1980s, as the result of ballast water being discharged by vessels travelling from Europe. " The economic impact of these invasive mussels to hydropower, agricultural irrigation, municipal water supplies and recreational boating has been estimated to be $43 million per year. This estimate does not include additional impacts on commercial and recreational fisheries," says a government news release. Where introduced, these mussels kill native mussels and clams and reduce native fish species by altering the aquatic food web. They also attach to aquatic plants and submerged surfaces, including piers, pilings, water intakes and fish screens. "Invasive mussels can colonize on boats and other watercraft (on hulls, engines and steering components), as well as on recreational equipment. Their microscopic larvae also can be spread in any raw water moved between waterbodies. If left unchecked, zebra and quagga mussels can restrict the effectiveness of engine cooling systems and damage boat motors," says the release. Zebra and Quagga Mussel Facts: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hra/invasive-species/mussels.htm