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By Lisa Parent

Alberta tightens defenses against invasive mussels with hefty fines

Jun 28, 2024 | 11:39 AM

Alberta is currently zebra and quagga mussel free, however, this invasive species can spread quickly through boats and other watercrafts travelling across borders.

As of June 20, fines for failing to stop at a watercraft inspection station increased in Alberta in hopes of preventing them from infiltrating water and irrigation systems.

Fines for failing to stop with a boat at an inspection station increased from $324 to $4,200 and fines for failing to remove a bilge plug increased to from $180 to $600.

Those were recommendations made by Grant Hunter, the MLA for Taber-Warner, to Rebecca Schulz, minister of environment and protected areas.

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“People need to recognize that if these things do get in, the devastating costs to southern Alberta and to our waterways throughout the province is not really quantifiable,” Hunter said.

Hunter said the zebra and quagga mussels have made their way from eastern Canada, all the way to Manitoba.

Currently Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Montana and Idaho are mussel free.

Hunter said if they got into Alberta, it would cost about 75-million annually to treat the waterways, plus an unknown amount more for replacing irrigation pipes they clog.

Watercraft inspection stations in Alberta conduct over 4,000 inspections per year. Inspections reveal about six to 12 fouled boats per year, but Hunter said it just takes one to cause issues.

“We want to make sure that people still feel comfortable with coming in to Alberta, and we want them to be able to enjoy our waterways, we have some of the best and most beautiful in the world,” Hunter said.

“But they need to recognize that we’re very serious to keep these things out and they all have to be willing to help.”

Zebra and quagga mussels can often be hard to spot in their larval stage, so inspection stations use testing or canines to find them.

The government of Alberta is encouraging people to clean, drain and dry their boat after using them in bodies of water.