Boating season is here; time to remember to help fight aquatic invasive species — non-native plants and animals that can cause harm to our waterways and fishing.
Yesterday I took my son, Cory to the Seeley-Swan valley to canoe and fish. On the way, we stopped at a mandatory boat check station run by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP).
It was a good reminder about invasive plants, such as Eurasion watermilfoil, and invasive animals, such as zebra and quagga muscles, that can have severe and negative impacts to our native fisheries. These invasives can “hitchhike” their way from one waterway to another on our boats, waders and other fishing gear.
The stop was very educational, with the main message being: Do your part to stop aquatic hitchhikers: Inspect. Clean. Dry. (Keep your boat and gear clean and free of debris; remove all mud, water and plants; and let your boat completely dry before using it in other waters.
The good, friendly folks from FWP gave us some informative brochures, a sponge to clean my boat with, and showed my son and I some actual zebra mussels so we know what they look like.
Help protect our lakes, rivers, streams and our exceptional fisheries! To learn more, check out: http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/species/ais/
Dave Stalling is Montana Wildlife Federation’s Western Field Rep. You can reach him at dstalling@mtwf.org.
