Alberta will become the first province in Canada to require inspections for all incoming watercraft starting June 1 to prevent the spread of invasive mussels.
The rule covers all motorized and non-motorized watercraft, including boats, jet skis, kayaks and paddleboards. Travelers must stop at an open inspection station when entering Alberta from the south or east. If no station is nearby, vessels must be inspected within seven days and before entering any Alberta waterbody.
"Starting June 1, inspections will be mandatory for boats, jet skis, and all other watercraft entering this province through Alberta's southern or eastern borders," Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz said in Chestermere.
"We are the first province in Canada to make these inspections mandatory for all watercrafts at all times."
Inspected boats must display a sticker showing when and where the check took place. Failing to stop carries a $4,200 fine. The same penalty applies to transporting a boat with the bilge plug still in.
Alberta completed 13,408 inspections in 2024, the most since 2019. Fifteen vessels were found contaminated with invasive mussels, and about 20 per cent of operators attempted to bypass a station.
"Every single summer, thousands of boats enter our province, most from the south or from the east," Schulz said. "Just one boat carrying invasive mussels can put an entire aquatic ecosystem at risk."
Eleven stations will operate this season, including one with 24-hour staffing. The province is adding staff, extending hours, and deploying mobile decontamination units.
The inspection period runs from June 1 to September 30. Starting in 2026, it will expand to May 1 through September 30 each year.
"In areas where zebra and quagga mussels have already invaded, like most of North America, they permanently alter ecosystems and infrastructure," said Megan Evans, executive director of the Alberta Invasive Species Council.
"Preventing invasive species from establishing is the single best way to manage them, because once established, they are far more difficult and costly to control."
A government study pegged the annual cost of a mussel infestation in Lake McGregor at $284 million. Schulz said damage in the Great Lakes region reaches up to $500 million a year.
"This is incredibly important to communities like mine," said Chestermere-Strathmore MLA Chantelle de Jonge. "At the heart of Chestermere is the Western Irrigation District's reservoir number one... a critical body of water for agriculture to the east of Calgary."
Alberta formed its Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force in 2023, chaired by MLA Grant Hunter. Schulz said all of its recommendations are being implemented.
Budget 2025 includes $18 million over five years to expand inspection programs, acquire new equipment and triple the size of Alberta's canine detection teams.
"Alberta has a reputation for being tough on invasive species," Evans said. "We are the world's largest rat-free jurisdiction after all... With strong action like this, we can do the same for invasive mussels."
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