PREVENTING THE SPREAD OF INVASIVE SPECIES 101
Aquatic invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels have caused problems for cottage owners and campsite operators in Ontario for decades. Attaching to pipes, docks and boats, mussels damage water intake pipes, septic systems, docks and waterfront assets, and hydro operations. Equally important, mussels filter water in such a way that it makes lakes less hospitable for valuable recreational fish, reducing the amount of fish that anglers have to catch. Sharp mussel shells litter beaches, risking harm to bare feet. Invasive mussels have started to make their way west toward the lakes in Manitoba, Alberta and B.C., with overland transport of infect-ed boats being a common carrier of invasive mussels from waterbody to waterbody.
There are simple steps that every cottage goer and camper can take to prevent the spread of invasive species:
Anglers – do not transport or dump live bait in waterways.
Campers – only use local firewood and do not transport firewood between locations.
Cottage owners – do not plant invasive plants or trees on your property.
Boaters – clean your boats after use by washing off all fish, mussels and plants that may be attached to the inside or outside of your boat. Take great care to not move invasive species from one waterbody to another.
