Vernon council to write letters of support for OBWB despite tourism concerns

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Guy noted the temporary ban on boats, which was seen as somewhat extreme at the last council meeting, does meet the threat level that the quagga mussels pose.

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Councillor Brian Quiring added a letter from Columbia Watershed Council outlined actions to take, and while it did not recommend a boat ban, it did support the other calls from the OBWB.

Quiring added the CSWB outlined the inefficiencies of the inspection process, and said inspection and enforcement need to be enhanced.

He also felt the boat ban would be hard to enforce and could impact tourism, and while he would support the boat ban, the letters should emphasize the need for better inspections.

“I really think in our letters that we really want to stress that we expect money could be used towards enforcement,” Quiring said, adding “It’s really the inspections that should be ramped up, not the ban. That’s not always the right idea.”

Councillor Teresa Durning supported writing the letters, noting the ban would only affect recreational watercraft, but would show council’s commitment to protect the environment and natural assets.

Councillor Kari Gares said this is a tourism economy and the city and province do not have the current capabilities to enforce a moratorium on out-of-province boats, adding it would cost millions of dollars, and still may not work.

Instead, she said the province needs to be putting more money towards insection stations.

“We need to be strategic and say to the province ‘You need to put the money where it matters the most and you need to fund these stations and you need to be checking these boats coming in on a more regular basis.’ That’s what needs to happen,” Gares said.

She said she could not support the letter if the boat ban was included as she does not believe it would make a difference, but would have negative impacts to the tourism economy.

Mayor Victor Cumming, the city’s rep on the OBWB, said Idaho has stricter inspection and enforcement measures for invasive mussels than B.C. does, but there was still an outbreak.

He added there is a need for the province to invest in inspection practices, and bringing pressure to the province to make sure waterways are protected could lead to better practices.

Vernon’s mayor also noted that people bringing boats to B.C. from Manitoba and Ontario, where quagga mussels have taken over, have to go through multiple inspections at the borders with Saskatchewan and Alberta, and hopefully any mussels would be caught during those inspections. He added Alberta has also expressed concern with the outbreak in Idaho and are looking at options to keep infestations out.

Cumming said the call would be for a short term ban until the infestation situation in Snake River in Idaho is known. However, Gares still expressed concern that there would be complications in evaluating the outbreak and that the ban would roll into the next boating season and even further.

Guy said the OBWB is making the call on their own, whether or not they gain support from the City of Vernon

The matter was put to a vote and passed, with Gares the lone council member voting in opposition.

Speaking with Vernon Matters following the meeting, Cumming reiterated the importance of protecting the local waterways.

“If we get quagga or zebra mussels into our systems, it’s very hard to back out,” Cumming said.

“We are supporting the Okanagan Basin Water Board in their call for the province to step up their protection and care for our future water, and that will require some very strong steps.”

He acknowledge there were concerns voiced by council that the inspection process had inefficiencies, including the fact they aren’t open 24/7 and can be bypassed.

“There really is concern that the boats actually have been inspected or cleaned. There has to got be a process, and other parts of North America are already doing this so it’s not like we’re starting from scratch,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

“It’s not that we’re trying to say not to bring your boat from Alberta. What we’re saying is lets get a process in place that clearly indicates that this has been cleaned and dried, and therefore no mussels on it, then by all means it would be great to have your boat here in the water in the Okanagan or Shuswap or in the Columbia.”

He also stated the OBWB “clearly want a short-term” boat ban until a provincial system is in place to manage invasive mussels more efficiently can be established.

The letters of support will be sent to the federal Minister of Public Safety, democratic institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, as well as to the provincial Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.