‘Largest-ever decontamination’: B.C. crews track down mussel-infested barge from eastern Canada
Global News
According to the province, the barge from Lake Ontario was headed to a Lower Mainland waterway for industrial use.
A barge from Ontario was stopped last month from potentially infesting B.C. waters with invasive mussels.
On Saturday, the Ministry of Environment said B.C.’s Conservation Officer Service (COS) achieved its largest-ever invasive mussel decontamination after learning about an infested barge heading west.
According to the ministry, the barge from Lake Ontario was headed to a Lower Mainland waterway for industrial use. Enter B.C.’s Invasive Mussel Defence Program.
“They knew the consequences of allowing the barge in B.C. waters could have significant impacts on local ecosystems and infrastructure because the invasive mussel could establish itself and overtake native species,” said the ministry.
“Inspectors tracked down the trucking company and its load, a massive barge being transported in two 40-foot-long (12 metres) sections, each 10 feet (three metres) high and 10 feet wide.”
The ministry said the barge was redirected to a warehouse in Richmond for full decontamination, “which was the largest of its kind for invasive zebra mussels since the program started in 2015.”
Inspectors from the Okanagan and Lower Mainland were assembled, with the ministry saying they used specialized equipment to remove thousands of invasive mussels during approximately 10 hours of work in two days.
“Many of the mussels were viable, which means they could multiply in B.C. waters if given the chance. That has yet to happen in the province,” said the ministry.