Invasive mussel check on watercraft entering B.C. (Okanagan Basin Water Board photo)

By Pete McIntyre

more funding is needed

Vernon Chamber against idea of boat ban to deal with invasive mussels

May 24, 2024 | 1:00 PM

More federal government funding — and not a moritorium on out-of-province watercraft — is the best way to prevent the spread of invasive mussels into the Okanagan’s lakes, according to a local business organization.

The Greater Vernon Chamber has issued a news release, questioning the call for the boat ban which it says would impact tourism and be hard to enforce.

“Increasing funding to protect our waterways is an extremely important issue that needs the attention of the federal government,” Kirndeep Nahal, Greater Vernon Chamber President, said.

The Chamber said B.C. currently receives just 1.7 per cent of all federal funding to protect communities from invasive species, which is down from two per cent.

“There is a large disparity in the funding that the federal government has made available to B.C. and an increase in funding could gainfully be used toward creating mechanisms for watercraft inspections and invasive mussel awareness,” Nahal said. “We respect the approach that other organizations have taken in calling for a moratorium on out-of-province watercraft however the Greater Vernon Chamber believes that adequate funding to combat invasive species would be a better longterm solution to this issue.”

Housing Market

Housing prices still down annually

11h ago

Stuck Near Shorts Creek

VSAR teams helped rescue stranded motorists

17h ago

Event Cancelled

Pentastic Hot Jazz & Music Festival cancelled after nearly 30 years

Apr 06, 2026

Several chambers of commerce in the B.C. Interior called for a temporary moratorium on out-of-province boats in a request to federal and provincial ministers earlier this year.

The Greater Vernon Chamber is concerned with how such a ban would be enforced.

“Who will be tasked with stopping or fining out-of-province boats from entering the province? There is a cost to enforcement. If there’s money and resources for enforcement, then perhaps the money can be better spent towards proactive and preventative measures rather than an outright ban,” Nahal remarked.

The Vernon Chamber said members of the marine industry question how a ban like that would deal with out-of-province registered boats that never leave B.C.

“Seventy-five per cent of the two hundred boats we store are Alberta registered,” Ryan Smith, owner of Valley Marine, said. “When people are at the boat launch, how are they going to know the difference between an Alberta registered boat that stays here all year and one that doesn’t. This may lead to some unfavourable interactions for locals trying to police the moratorium who might not know better.”

The Chamber noted that the tourism sector has faced challenges the last few years as a result of the Covid pandemic and wildfires, along with new provincial legislation affecting short-term rentals.

“The last thing they need is another reason for tourists to choose somewhere else to travel,” Nahal commented. “In the end, those calling for a moratorium and those that are against want the same thing and that’s for the federal government to increase funding to protect our ecosystem and make sure our lakes can be used by local families and tourists for years to come.”

by Pete McIntyre

View Comments