Mechanics at Power Merchants Limited of St. Paul and Cold Lake discovered an invasive species, mussels, on the motor of a boat. The boat, which was bought at an auction, is not believed to have been used in Albertan lakes.
Owner of Power Merchants Limited of St. Paul and Cold Lake, Jerry Bidulock, says lots of people take their personal boats on trips to America. Bidolock notes an example, “personally if I was going down to Las Vegas, and had a couple days and I wanted to get out to Lake Mead. I think I’d be much happier renting a boat and leaving it in their waters, then bringing my nice shiny boat from Alberta and contaminating it and bringing back”.
Bidulock explains that there are some important things to remember about boating in a different region’s body of water. “Really pay attention to the information that’s available. Go onto the government website to do a little homework and research it.” Bidulock further explains that when going outside of Alberta you should never take the chance that your boat is clean. He instructs if you do use your boat in foreign waters to intensely clean your boat by “flushing and washing with very hot water and soap”.
Bidulock says “the contamination is microscopic and many times a person wouldn’t know about it until it grows.” Invasive species, such as the mussels found, can threaten native aquatic life by eating their food, as well as, clog boat engines and water intake for treatment plants, leading serious mechanical issues and costly repairs.
