A barge from Ontario was stopped last month by a potential infestation of British Columbia waters with invasive mussels.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Environment said British Columbia’s Conservation Service (COS) achieved its largest-ever decontamination of invasive clams after learning of an infected barge traveling west.
According to the ministry, the barge from Lake Ontario was headed for a Lower Mainland waterway for industrial use. Enter British Columbia’s Invasive Mussel Protection Program.
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“They knew that the consequences of allowing the barge into British Columbia waters could have a significant impact on local ecosystems and infrastructure, as the invasive mussel could become established and outcompete native species,” the ministry said.
“Inspectors tracked down the shipping company and its cargo, a massive barge transported in two sections 40 feet (12 meters) long, each 10 feet (three meters) high and 10 feet wide.”
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A close-up view of the infected barge from Lake Ontario. BC Conservation Service
The ministry said the barge was diverted to a warehouse in Richmond for full decontamination, “which is the largest of its kind for invasive zebra mussels since the program began in 2015.”
Inspectors from the Okanagan and Lower Mainland were brought together, with the ministry saying they used specialized equipment to remove thousands of invasive mussels during roughly 10 hours of work over two days.
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“Many of the clams were viable, meaning they could reproduce in British Columbia waters if given the chance. This is yet to happen in the province,” the ministry said.
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“This was the largest, most significant discovery of zebra mussels on a vessel that our teams have ever encountered,” said COS Insp. Dave Webster. “To decontaminate the ship, we needed a specialized operational plan and space due to the large size.”
Webster said he was proud of how quickly everyone was mobilized to stop the infected barge from reaching British Columbia waters.
“This is a testament to the success of the Invasive Mussel Protection Program and its coordinated approach with our neighboring provinces to address the threat of this invasive species,” said Webster.
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The ministry said the barge was also issued a mandatory 30-day quarantine period, which ended this week.
“This incredible work shows the value of our program and the dedication of staff to make it effective,” said Environment Minister George Hayman.
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“The fact that British Columbia received notification from several western provinces shows how effective this multi-layered approach is through collective and collaborative prevention efforts in Western Canada and the US.”
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The ministry says some of the shellfish samples will be used to train two detection dogs, Kilo and Major, both of whom are German shepherds.
The department said that in 2021, the Invasive Mussel Protection Program made 33,000 inspections, with 244 identified as high risk. It also said that 100 decontamination orders had been issued and that 18 vessels had been given quarantine periods to allow for the required drying time.
He also said COS inspectors carried out 153 decontaminations in 2021.
For more information on British Columbia’s Invasive Mussel Protection Program or cleaning, draining and drying, visit the province’s website.
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