B.C. invasive mussel defence program inspected 38,000 boats last year | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Penticton News

B.C. invasive mussel defence program inspected 38,000 boats last year

Two conservation officers decontaminate a boat bound for Kelowna from mussel-infested Lake Erie. One officer uses heated water to spray the hull while another measures the temperature to ensure the water is hot enough to kill any mussel larvae.
Image Credit: FILE PHOTO

The B.C. government’s Invasive Mussel Defence Program was busy last year performing 38,000 watercraft inspections.

As part of the 38,000 inspections, the province issued 293 decontamination orders as well as 238, 30-day quarantine periods, according to a report of highlights from the February Okanagan Basin Water Board meeting. Mussels can live for up to 30 days out of water.

Twenty-five watercraft were found to be carrying invasive mussels and three of those vessels were bound for Okanagan waters.

The local Don’t Move a Mussel program provided additional signs for Okanagan boat launches in addition to connecting with 5,300 people, the report said. The Don’t Move a Mussel website saw a 25 per cent increase in traffic to the site, most of whom were first time visitors.

The province is considering a Water Board request for legislative changes that would require all incoming watercraft to be inspected before being launched in B.C. waters, a letter received by the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen said.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

News from © iNFOnews, 2019
iNFOnews

  • Popular vernon News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile