shuswap invasive mussels incident
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x CrewsfromtheTakeActionprogramhaveinspectedtheboatnowandhavefoundattachedmussels.Basedon
photostheseappeartobeeitherZebraorQuaggamussels(bothareequallybadnews).Samplesarebeingsent
totheRBCMandIdahoforpositiveidentification.Wealsohopetobeabletodetermineiftheyhadbeendead
forsomeperiodandwhattheirreproductiveconditionwas.
x Crewsdidnotconfirmthattherewereanylivingmusselsattachedbuttheywerenotabletoinspecttheinner
workingsoftheboat(coolingsystemetc.)andsomeofthemusselsremovesstilllookrelativelyfresh.They
havenowreceivedpermissionfromtheownertoentertheboat,fullyinspectanddecontaminateit.
x TheInvasiveSpeciesCouncilcrewareplanningtomoveaportablehotwashdecontaminationstationtothe
marinatoundertakethedecontamination.Theboatownerisfullycooperating.x IfweadopttheprotocolsusedinIdaho,theboatshouldbeleftdryfor30daysafterdecontaminationtheboat
ownerislikelytoobjecttothisashefeelsitwasinthedryforalmostamonthbeforebeinglaunchedinBC.
However,ifwefinddampareaswithmusselsinternally,thispreviousdryperiodwouldbeconsideredmoot.
x Giventheuncertaintyastowhetherviablemusselswerepresentontheboatatthetimeitwaslaunchedin
ShuswapLake,wediscussedthepossiblecontainmentstepsthatneedtobeconsidered(notethattheboatdid
notleavethemarinawhichisafairlycontainedarea).
o Anyboatsbeingpulledoutofthewatershouldbedecontaminated.TakeActionCrewsarebeing
mobilizedforthispurposealthoughthemarineoperatorisexpressingsomeconcerns.
o Adivershouldbeusedtoinspectthepiersandbottomintheareatheboatwasmooredtoseeifany
musselsmovedontothepiersordroppedofftheboat.WereaskingDFOiftheyhaveanyabilityto
supportthis.o Samplingforlarvalmusselsshouldbeconductedassoonaspossibleandcontinuedeveryweekortwo
throughthesummer.Wehavethegear,needtomobilizestaff.
o GiventhehighconsequencesifmusselsdobecomeestablishedinShuswap,weneedtoconsider
whetherornotthemarinabayshouldbescreenedoff(isolated)andtheareatreatedtokillanymussels
present.Thiswouldobviouslyinconvenienceallboatersatthemarinaandthebusinessitselfbutthe
riskmaywarrantsuchadrasticaction.
x Anotherconferencecallisplannedfortomorrowtodiscussinformationbeingcollectedoverthenext24hours
andtodeterminearecommendedcourseofaction.DFOisbeingkeptapprised.
x Wecanexpectthemediatopickuponthisatsomepointespeciallyoncedecontaminationactivitiesstart
(probablynotuntilearlynextweekasequipmenthastobemovedfromtheKootenays).Weareworkingwith
FLNROstaffonmessagingbuthavenotdirectlydiscussedwithGCPEatthispoint.
Bestcasescenariohereisthatallthemusselsweredeadandwedonthaveaproblem.Worstcasewouldbemissing
theopportunitytocontainviablemusselsatthemarinaandhavingthembecomeestablishedinShuswapresultingin
thedecimationoffisheriesstocksincludingkeysockeyestocks.
Ted DownConservation Science250-387-9715
_____________________________________________From: Down, Ted ENV:EXSent: Wednesday, July 4, 2012 3:51 PMTo: Dale, Alec ENV:EXCc: Wilson, Andrew S FLNR:EX; Woodruff, Patricia FLNR:EX
Subject: Invasive mussel issue on Shuswap Lake
HiAlecitseemstobeinvasivespeciesday.Thisisjustaheadsupbutthiscouldgetmediaattention.Wearestill
activelyworkingonthissoIdonthavealltheanswersyetbut:
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x WehavearecreationalboatthatwastransportedfromArizonatoBCthathadvisiblemusselsattachedwhenit
wasremovedfromthewaterinMay.
x Therearepapersindicatingitwentthroughadecontaminationproceduredesignedtoremovemusselsin
Arizona
x However,whentheboatwentthroughIdaho,officialstherenotedthattherewerefreshlookingmusselsstill
attachedtothehull.Theydidahotwashbutwerenotsatisfiedthattheboatwasfullydecontaminated.They
couldnotlegallyholdtheboatasitwasnotdestinedforIdahowaters.TheyinformedMatthiasasthe
provincialcontact.
x TheboatwasputinthewaterataShuswapLakemarina.Staffthereapparentlynotedthemusselsandattempted
toremovethem
x PatriciaWoodruff(stillofficiallyworkingforAndrew)wasforwardedtheoriginalmessageyesterdayandhas
workedtohavetheboatremovedfromthewaterwhichitnowhasbeen(althoughitwasinthewaterfora
week).RegionalCOsandDFOfisheriesofficershavebeeninformedandhavebeenveryhelpful.
x Wedontknowatthisstageiftherewereanyviablemusselsleftontheboatwhenitwentinthewaterornot.
Itwasoutofthewaterformorethan3weeksaccordingtothepaperswhichshouldhavebeensufficientbut
theIdahoreportcausesconcern.Iftheyarestillviable,wewontknowiftheyspawnedornotbutifwecollect
sampleswemaybeabletoassessmaturity.
x Crewsfromthecleandrainanddryprogram(provincialfunding)arebeingdispatchedtoevaluateand
decontaminate.x Theboatownerhasbeentrackeddown andiscooperatingbutisconcernedwith
potentialcoststohimanddelayinhisplanstousetheboatinaweekortwo.Hehasbeeninformedthatthe
boatmustbecheckedfirstbutthatthiswilllikelynotdelayhisplans.Hemayhavetopayforanadditional
launchfeewhichIbelieveshouldbehisresponsibilitygiventhecircumstances.Wemaybepushingour
jurisdictionherebuttheriskistoohigh.
x Theimplicationshereareincrediblyhigh.Pelagicspecieslikesockeyewouldbethemostimpactedbyamussel
invasionasthemusselswouldfiltermostofthenutrientsoutofthelakeandconvertthemtomusselbiomass.
TheAdamsRiversockeyerun,forexamplewouldlikelybegreatlydiminishedovertime.Onceestablishedin
Shuswap,theycouldeasilyinvadedownstreamintheFraseraswell.
x Ifviablemusselsarefoundontheboat,wewouldlikelywanttostepupassessmentinShuswapandtryto
controlmusselsbeforetheycanbeestablished.Imnotsurehoweffectivethiscouldbe.
YoumaywanttopassthisontoGCPEnoworcouldwaitformoreconfirmation.YoumightalsowanttogiveMarka
headsup.
Patriciahasdoneagreatjobcoordinatingtheresponsetothistrialbyfire!
Ted Down,Ph.D., RPBioManager, Conservation ScienceEcosystem Protection and Sustainability BranchMinistry of EnvironmentPO Box 9338 Stn Prov GovtVictoria, BC V8W 9M1Location: 4th Floor, 2975 J utland Road, Victoria
Phone: 250-387-9715 Fax: 250-356-9145e-mail: [email protected]
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