Alberta campaigns against potential mussel invasion

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

During a recent news conference, Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, announced that starting June 20, fines will increase from $324 to $4,200 for failing to stop with a trailered boat at an open inspection station, and fines will rise from $180 to $600 for failing to remove a bilge plug when transporting a watercraft on a roadway. 

“From the Rocky Mountains to the lakes and rivers that weave through our land, Alberta’s waters are at the heart of our province,” said Minister Schulz. “They are vital for our environment, our economy, and of course for our way of life, but aquatic, invasive species, tiny invaders like zebra and quagga mussels pose a real and growing danger to our waterways, our infrastructure, and of course, the livelihoods of many Albertans. These species wreak havoc wherever they go. They outcompete native species, leaving our fish and wildlife struggling to survive. They clog pipes and damage boats, costing us millions of dollars in repairs, and they threaten industries like fishing, agriculture and tourism, putting jobs and our local economies at risk.”

Alberta, Minister Schulz said, is currently zebra and quagga mussel free, but more and more detections are being reported across Canada and the us and eight such contaminated water crops have been intercepted this year already. 

That, Minister Schulz stated, is why Alberta is setting the highest fines in North America to protect the province from these dangerous invasive species. 

“Why such strong action?” said Minister Schulz.” Why such high fines? It’s because the stakes are so incredibly high. Both invasive mussels can put an entire aquatic ecosystem at risk and lead to millions of dollars in damage to irrigation infrastructure, and of course, to our waterways. If these mussels are established in Alberta, they would spread rapidly, clog waterways, harm ecosystems, and would be extremely challenging to eliminate.”

Minister Schulz highlighted a recent study and stated that it estimated that if mussels were introduced into Lake McGregor, it could cost $284 million each year in damages, and stated that that is just one lake. 

The higher fines, Minister Schulz said, are just one part of Alberta’s increased defense, and announced the creation of the province’s first Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force and invested $2.5 million to increase the number of inspection stations, add more inspectors, and keep stations open as long as possible. Minister Schulz also explained that the task force would be holding their first meeting following the announcement.

“We’re taking this quite seriously because it matters to all of us, and we’re investing in prevention and rapid response because we know that it works,” said Minister Schulz.

Minister Schulz then invited Grant Hunter, chair of the Invasive Species Task Force and MLA for Taber-Warner, to say a few words.

“As the MLA for Taber-Warner, we have 70% of Canada’s irrigation land right in Southern Alberta, and the investments that we’ve made and that our forefathers or mothers have made in the past put us in a position to be able to grow 60 specialty crops and to be able to export around the world some of the best crops in the world, and so we need to protect that,” said MLA Hunter. “If the quagga or zebra mussels were to get into these irrigation lines, it would be almost impossible to get them out. Other jurisdictions like Idaho, who also a very large irrigation network as well, have recognized the importance of making sure that we get serious and tough on this. We want you to come here and enjoy this place, but we want to make sure that you’re doing it responsibly.”