A German shepherd named Major excitedly walks around the outside of a boat at Cultus Lake, as handler Sgt. Denny Chr茅tien points at various spots along the way.
Soon Major stops and sits and receives an enthusiastic "good boy!" from Chr茅tien.
The canine successfully found an invasive species of freshwater mussel that was hidden on the boat.
It was all part of a demonstration on May 6 where representatives with B.C. Conservation Officer Service and Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship were at Cultus Lake inspecting watercraft and explaining the dangers of zebra mussels and quagga mussels.
Once the mussels are introduced into in a water system, they can have "significant environmental and economic impacts," said Martina Beck with the ministry.
"They can reproduce very quickly, they can outcompete our native species for both food and habitat, and they overtake the environment. They also have the ability to attach on to solid surfaces, and they can survive out of water for potentially up to 30 days," Beck said.
They clog water pipes and encrust equipment by attaching onto things like hydropower facilities, concrete, PVC pipes, wood, stone, aluminum and steel.
The primary way they can be spread is by attaching themselves onto boats, and then being transported over land and introduced into systems where they haven't yet been introduced.
Although the mussels have not yet been detected in B.C. waters, the province has been operating its Invasive Mussel Defence Program since 2005.
Legislation is currently before the House of Commons with that will enhance the ability of conservation officers to take action to keep aquatic invasive species out of B.C. waters.
Last year, the ministry introduced its 'Pull the plug' message. Effective May 17, 2024 in B.C., it's illegal to transport watercraft with the drain plug still in place. The fine for not complying is $403.
It's part of a preventative step they call 'Clean, Drain, Dry' where boat owners are to clean off all plants, animals and mud from their boat and equipment (this is typically done using available power washing stations), drain all water (from bait buckets, live-wells, pumps, motors) onto land, and then dry all items before launching into another body of water.
It applies to not only motorized boats but to any type of watercraft including canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and sailboats.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service works with the ministry to set up inspection stations throughout B.C., with the main focus being along the B.C. borders of Alberta and the U.S.
Inspection stations are set up with conservation officers, canine units, a decontamination unit, information pamphlets and more. The fine for failing to stop at an inspection station is $690.
At the inspection stations, conservation officers will look over the boat and trailer, and sometimes mussel-sniffing dogs like Major are brought in as well. Boats are sprayed down using hot water and high-pressure cleaning to remove and kill any invasive species.
In addition to the inspection stations, the ministry also monitors lakes throughout B.C. to test for the presence of zebra and quagga mussels, plus they do outreach and education, Beck added.
The mussels are native to Europe and were first introduced into North America unintentionally in the late 1980s into the Great Lakes. The closest in Canada the mussels are currently present is Manitoba.
For more, check out the province's and its steps.
