For the third time this summer Fisheries and Oceans Canada, along with the Manitoba government, performed a weekend inspection to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species, such as zebra mussels. A roadside inspection was set up close to the Manitoba-Ontario border along Highway 1 from July 17 to 29. During that time, 519 vehicles carrying 616 watercraft and other equipment were stopped. Inspectors found the majority of watercraft—479—were dry and clean. The other 137 failed the inspection, as they were not properly cleaned, drained, or dried. Of those, 15 need to be decontaminated and drivers were given instructions on how to comply in the future. No watercrafts were found with zebra mussels. This latest blitz provided similar results to the one done in June, with just under a quarter of watercrafts failing inspection. It is still an improvement compared to the first blitz in May, when over half of the inspected boats were deemed not compliant. There have been numerous incidents in Manitoba where zebra mussels have been in recent years. Parks Canada had a boat ban in effect in 2023 due to the presence of zebra mussels in Clear Lake. The ban has been lifted, but a one-boat, one-lake rule applies. Other bodies of water where zebra mussels have been found include Gimli Harbour and Lake Winnipeg. Lake of the Prairies most recently had zebra mussel larvae found.
