WINNIPEG – Manitoba is using a new weapon to fight invasive aquatic species that hitch a ride on boats coming into the province.
Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh says two high-heat, high-pressure decontamination units will be used to purge watery invaders such as zebra mussels.
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The units are portable and are believed to be the first in Canada.
They’re to be used at border crossings, fishing tournaments and high-traffic boat launches.
Mackintosh says more than 90 per cent of boats that enter the province are exposed to aquatic species not found in Manitoba.
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He says such species — which also include spiny waterfleas, rusty crayfish and curly-leaf pond weed — threaten the province’s rich diversity of lakes, rivers and waterways.
Funding for the two $50,000 units comes from fishing licence surcharge revenues.
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