Photo: Mark Hoffman

\Invasive zebra mussels in Wisconsin, USA.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is cheering changes to the Wildlife Act that will provide greater protection to the region against invasive mussels.

Provincial changes will make it mandatory for vehicles to stop at watercraft inspection stations and will create "pull-the-plug" requirements, legally obligating individuals to remove drain plugs from watercraft when transporting them.

“These proposed changes are a positive development, and we applaud the province for recognizing the shared responsibility of keeping waters free from invasive mussels.” says OBWB Chair Blair Ireland.

"As the summer boating season is almost here, we encourage the legislature to pass the amendments and ask the province to expedite the regulations that will be needed to bring these very positive changes into force.”

The BC Wildlife Federation has also voiced support for the measures, which are already in place in some form in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Invasive zebra and quagga mussels would devastate B.C. lakes if they make it into the province via transported watercraft.

At the end of April, Alberta inspectors intercepted their first watercraft of the 2025 season confirmed to be carrying invasive mussels—originating from Ontario.

Invasive mussels can cause corrosion and clogging in hydro and water-delivery systems costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per facility every year. The mussels filter water so quickly that they can collapse the food chain for fish and cause significant water quality problems, including increasing toxic algae, botulism and E.coli. Razor-sharp mussel shells end up on beaches, and the smell and taste of the water changes once lakes are infested.

"We are pleased to see the provincial government taking action on this. This must be an ongoing effort and it will take work to develop the associated regulations. Significant funding will be required to enforce the new regulations, but given the severe economic harm that mussels would bring, B.C. can’t afford not to invest in these protections,” says OBWB executive director Melissa Tesche.