On Friday afternoon British Columbia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, George Heyman, celebrated the launch of the province’s fifth season of the Invasive Mussel Defence Program at West Kelowna’s Shelter Bay Marina.

The event kicked off another year of protecting BC waterways from the invasive zebra and quagga mussels, which have been found in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, as well as dozens of states in America.

If the species were to make their way into BC waters, the impact on the local economy, tourism and to the vital operations conducted by BC Hydro would be severe.

To help combat the encroachment of the mussels, the defence program will not only receive some additional funding from the government and various partners but the second member of the BC Conservation Officer Services dog detection unit.

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Major, a one and a half-year-old german shepherd, has been preparing with his handler Sgt. Cynthia Mann for his upcoming season for the last several months and has already been able to detect invasive species on one boat.

From now until the end of October, Major and Sgt. Mann will join over 60 other conservation officers at the 12 inspection stations throughout the province.

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Not only will Major be useful in the prevention of invasive species entering our lakes, but his expertise will find him working year round by detecting firearms, shell casings, human scent, illegal bear parts and gathering evidence for wildfire arson cases.

In 2018, officers conducted more than 40,000 inspections and found 25 mussel-fouled boats destined for the Lower Mainland, Okanagan, Thompson-Nicola, Vancouver Island and the Kootenays.

Partner jurisdictions provided advance notification for 20 of those boats, which came from Ontario, Arizona, Manitoba, Michigan, Utah and Nevada.

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Anyone with a watercraft (sailboats, motorboats, car toppers, kayaks, canoes and paddle boats) travelling through or into B.C. is required to stop at an inspection station. Failing to stop can result in a $345 fine.

The public is encouraged to report watercraft suspected of transporting invasive mussels to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line at 1 877 952-7277.

To determine if a boat is high-risk and should be decontaminated, contact: COS.Aquatic.Invasive.Species@gov.bc.ca