Zebra quagga mussels
By Brynne Morrice
Late last summer, after learning of the threat posed by invasive zebra and quagga mussels, I set out to learn more, and do what I could, to protect Okanagan and BC waters. A few months later, I released a short film, “Mussel Threat,” which premiered at a news conference in Kelowna. The film illustrated just how dangerous the mussels are, and was a rallying cry for the protection of our beloved waters.
A lot has been accomplished since I released my film one year ago. This past spring, the BC government announced a new program of 8 inspection stations along our borders. This is an improvement, but it's still not enough. Here's why:
1) The inspectors are only on the road for 8-10 hours per day. So, if a boat comes through in the early morning or in the evening, it's not going to get checked. This is clearly a shortfall that needs to be addressed.
2) Drivers with any kind of boat ARE required by law to stop. The problem that exists is in the cases where a driver doesn't stop. If a Conservation Officer or RCMP officer is present, they can pursue the driver. If there are only auxiliary inspectors present, they CANNOT PURSUE THEM.
3) I have been out to see two of the inspection stations. One was not in place at 9 am on a busy morning. The other is placed at an illogical location that will only catch boaters who come out of Alberta (at Radium Hot Springs) and turn south. The ones who turn north will not be checked. In the case of the station at Radium, I'm sure the government has their reasons for placing it there, but my opinion is that this location is ineffective.
4) At our Federal border crossings, the border guards are now permitted to detain and inspect boats, but they usually DON'T. We talked to border guards at two different crossings, and they told us that they usually just ask the driver a few questions and then wave them through. These border guards are following procedure, so they can't be faulted on that. It is my opinion that the procedures need to be updated and IMPROVED.
Overall, it's difficult to iron out all the subtleties of protecting our province from these invasive mussels. Basically we are in a much better place than we were a year ago, but there is still much to be done. There are many people working hard on this, but we as community members need to keep up the pressure and make our voices heard.
Splash Mob is my next effort to protect what we have here in BC. Please help me make it BIG! Let's celebrate what we have and fight to protect it.
Splash Mob - July 24 at Kalamalka Lake
On July 24th, in conjunction with The Society for the Protection of Kal Lake, I'll be hosting a community event we are calling "Splash Mob". At 10:00 a.m., on Kalamalka Lake, we will gather as many people as possible and form a gigantic human circle. In the centre of the circle will be a floating sign (with a yet unconfirmed slogan), and all of it will be filmed from above by a professional team of cinematographers flying a commercial drone.
The goal of this circle flotilla is to draw widespread attention to the threat these invasive mussels pose to our freshwater. Here is the registration page for the event. I hope you can join us. If not, please help me spread the word!
Please donate to our Kickstarter campaign: We've also just launched another Kickstarter campaign, this time to raise $1,200 to to cover our event expenses. Please find it here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1169368454/splash-mob-2016?ref=nav_search