Budget Leaves Mussel Plan Unclear

The group working to prevent invasive mussels from entering BC waterways, was hoping for more in this week’s BC budget.

Tracy Gray, chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board, says there was no mention of core funding, and they’re waiting to hear what the plan will be this year

“We certainly hope that the protection is, at the minimum, the same that it was last year, but we’ll have to wait for communications to see exactly what the plan is.”

The board is also calling for legislation to require all watercraft entering BC to report to an inspection station, prior to launching in provincial waters.

Gray, a Kelowna city councillor, says the upcoming election campaign may shed more light on what the province plans to do with invasive mussel prevention this year.

“We don’t want to say that we knew this was a concern, and we should have done more, so we need to do as much as possible now,” Gray tells Kiss FM.

Gray says they will also be monitoring how the Liberals and other parties will address the issue in their election platforms.

To find out more, go to dontmoveamussel.ca