No mussels found in Saskatchewan bodies of water in 2020

Saskatchewan’s continued efforts to bulk up its defences against invasive mussels paid off in 2020.

In a media release Monday, the Ministry of Environment said there weren’t any invasive mussels found in 125 bodies of water sampled in Saskatchewan last year.

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as zebra and quagga mussels can damage aquatic habitat, fisheries, recreational resources and infrastructure for irrigation, power generation and municipal water supplies.

“Once again, our surveys have shown the effectiveness of prevention activities in protecting Saskatchewan’s lakes and rivers from invasive species threats,” Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said in the release.

“Our comprehensive provincial strategy includes monitoring, public awareness and education, as well as roadside watercraft inspections and decontamination, all important components of the program.”

The ministry said its staff inspected 911 watercraft in 2020 and pulled aside 630 for further inspection. Nine watercraft were contaminated with AIS and, because of risk factors, 164 were decontaminated.

Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, there wasn’t much traffic across the Canada-U.S. border in 2020. As a result, most of the inspections done in 2020 were at the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.

Provincial regulations require boaters to follow clean-drain-dry protocols for their crafts and equipment. Anyone bringing boats into Saskatchewan must remove the boat plug and stop at watercraft inspection stations to be checked or risk a $500 fine.

The government said invasive mussels have been found in Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec, as well as in 34 states, including Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota.