Aquatic invasive species are organisms not native to an area or region, have a negative impact on the region and usually live in or around the water.

 

These species, once introduced to an area, are impossible to eradicate.  

 

Candace Parks is an Aquatic Invasive Species specialist with Agriculture and Resource Development for the Province of Manitoba. 

 

Besides their negative impact on the ecosystem, aquatic invasive species have an economic impact as well.  

 

For example, there is a cost to communities to remove zebra mussels from infrastructure such as drinking water intake systems and to clean up shorelines.

 

most aquatic invasive species are introduced through human actions.  Those include illegally dumping bait buckets or putting contaminated water-related equipment such as nets and boats into a body of water. 

 

As most of these species are microscopic in their initial stages, it is important to follow the province’s regulations of “Clean, Drain, Dry, Decontaminate and Dispose” to prevent their spread.

 

To find out more about these species go to manitoba.ca/stopais