The B.C. Wildlife Federation has submitted a petition to the Auditor General of Canada raising urgent concerns about the federal government’s lack of funding for programs designed to prevent the spread of invasive mussels in British Columbia.
“We have taken this unusual step to ensure that the threat of infestation of B.C.’s freshwater systems is properly addressed to avoid economic and environmental harm to British Columbians, fish and wildlife, public utilities, businesses, and First Nations,” said BCWF Executive Director Jesse Zeman.
“If you drink water, pay taxes, enjoy the beach, or fishing, you should be concerned about invasive mussels.”
The petition filed under Section 22 of the Auditor General Act obliges federal Cabinet Ministers to respond to 10 specific questions posed by the BCWF. The petition was prepared in partnership with the Environmental Law Centre.
The BCWF is deeply concerned about the potential impacts of zebra and quagga mussels if they are allowed to take hold in our waterways. Invasive mussels can clog hydroelectric facilities, irrigation systems, and municipal water infrastructure. Their sharp shells can render beaches unusable.
The threat is real. A boat contaminated with invasive mussels and standing lake water in its bilge was discovered on its way to the Okanagan was intercepted last week.
“If the federal government doesn’t act quickly to help prevent the spread of invasive mussels, BC’s lands and water systems could suffer significant damage,” said Patricia Weber, a lawyer at the Environmental Law Centre, which prepared the petition on behalf of BCWF. “The federal government has a legal obligation to protect fish and fish habitat, including through the prevention of aquatic invasive species. B.C. needs increased funding under the federal government’s Aquatic Invasive Species Protection Fund to prevent this problem from becoming an environmental and economic disaster. The choice is clear: pay now to prevent the problem or pay a lot more later to fix it.”
Infestations may lead to declines in rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. Invasive mussels can retain water-borne toxins in their flesh, which exposes the waterfowl and fish that eat them to illnesses such as botulism. When mussels die in the millions, the stench from their decay is intolerable.
The BCWF has mounted a public awareness campaign aimed at boaters urging them to employ Clean, Drain, Dry procedures to prevent the spread of mussels into B.C. water bodies, advocated for a provincial inspection regime, and even contributed financially to B.C.’s mussel defences, in partnership with the provincial government, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Pacific Salmon Foundation.
The Government of British Columbia also introduced changes to the Wildlife Act that require mandatory inspections of watercraft entering British Columbia from other jurisdictions. In addition, boaters would be required to stop at watercraft inspection stations within B.C. and follow Clean, Drain Dry procedures.
“What is missing from the fight to save our fish, beaches, lakes, and rivers is a commitment from the federal government to ensure that our efforts are up to the task,” said Zeman. “Without federal leadership and investment, the work already being done by provincial and Indigenous partners risks will be outpaced by the scale and speed of this growing crisis.”
The Province of British Columbia estimates that if zebra or quagga mussels become established the resulting damage could cost between $64 million and $129 million annually, and that only includes damage to infrastructure.
“For years, the Okanagan Basin Water Board has raised alarms about invasive mussels, and BCWF’s petition highlights how urgent this issue has become. We need immediate federal leadership and funding to ensure B.C. is not left facing the devastating costs of an infestation,” James Littley, Chief Operating Officer, OBWB.
The petition details the federal government’s legal obligations to environmental, economic, and cultural crises under a variety of federal statutes, such as the Fisheries Act, the Species at Risk Act, and the Canada Shipping Act, and Ottawa’s commitment to UNDRIP and DRIPA.
The petition poses questions about Canada’s weak response to the threat posed by invasive mussels to the ministers responsible for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Northern Affairs Canada.
“It’s past time for the federal government to justify its inaction in the face of a significant environmental and economic threat, or act in proportion to the threat,” said Zeman.