Question Period Note: Aquatic Invasive Species

• Our Government understands the importance of protecting Canadian waters and is focused on coordinating efforts to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species.
• Aquatic invasive species pose a serious threat to aquatic ecosystems, and preventing negative impacts to Canada’s biodiversity, economy, and society is a priority for this Government.
• My Department works with provinces, territories, Parks Canada, and the Canada Border Services Agency to enforce the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations, including a focus on preventing prohibited species from entering Canada.

Aquatic Invasive Species
• The Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations came into force in 2015 under the Fisheries Act to provide tools for federal action and partnerships with provincial and territorial governments, setting significant expectations regarding Canada’s collective ability to manage aquatic invasive species (AIS).
• Budget 2017 provided $43.8 million in funding over five years and $10.8 million ongoing for national AIS management to: establish a national core program; expand and make permanent the Department’s Asian Carp program; and expand the Seal Lamprey Control Program (SLCP) and increase Canada’s commitment to the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC). Budget 2017 increased Canada’s commitment to the GLFC, the coordinating body for the SLCP, from $8.1 million to $10.6 million ongoing.
• The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development conducted an audit of DFO’s AIS efforts to date and released its findings on April 2, 2019. In response, DFO, the Canada Border Services Agency, and other partners have developed new protocols, tools, and procedures to improve enforcement of the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations at international borders.

Asian Carp
• The Asian Carp Program aims to protect the Great Lakes against the threat posed by Asian Carp. The Program focuses its prevention efforts on early detection and surveillance, partnering and education, and outreach activities. This funding will allow DFO to expand the Asian Carp Program to increase protection of our Great Lakes and preserve our fisheries. Related activities include outreach/education, research, risk assessment and mutual aid.
• Asian carps were introduced accidentally into the Mississippi River Basin in the 1970s and 1980s, and have since been progressively making their way north. There are four types: Bighead Carp, Grass Carp, Black Carp, and Silver Carp. A 2004 Risk Assessment for Asian Carp in Canada concluded that the risk of impact would be high for these Asian carps in the Great Lakes as well as other parts of Canada.
• The Asian Carp Program conducts early detection and surveillance at 37 sites across the Great Lakes. In the Great Lakes, the Program collaborates with partners, including the Province of Ontario, the U.S. and state government agencies, academia, and non-governmental stakeholders.
• Since 2012, 33 Grass Carp have been captured and removed from Canadian waters of the Great Lakes basin. Of those 33 fish, the majority were triploid and incapable of breeding.
• Although federal Asian carp programming will remain focused on the Great Lakes basin due to the seriousness of the threat, Asian carps have also become an issue for the Province of Quebec; one Asian carp was detected in the St. Lawrence River near Montreal in 2016, one specimen was caught in 2020 in the Chambly basin, and three specimens were caught in May 2024 in the Lac des deux Montagnes near Vaudreuil. DFO collaborates with the Province of Quebec, which leads the management of Grass Carp within its jurisdiction by providing support for laboratory analyses to confirm the fertility of captured specimens.

European Green Crab
• European Green Crab (EGC) consumes and/or competes with indigenous species such as shellfish, crab, and lobsters and disrupts estuarine habitats such as eelgrass and saltmarsh.
• DFO continues to provide funding and works with multiple partners in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) to control EGC, including Indigenous groups (e.g., the Mi’kmaq Alsumk Mowimsikik Koqoey Association), academia (the Marine Institute), and Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (e.g., the Aquatic Conservation Initiative and Intervale Associates INC.). The NL Region has a successful voluntary control licence program where members of the public can apply to trap for EGC.
• In B.C., EGC were first discovered in 1998. DFO has partnered with multiple Indigenous and stewardship groups and others to determine the extent of the invasion, seek evidence of establishment, and develop and implement management and response plans, including providing subject matter expertise, and funding from the B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund to the Coastal Restoration Society, Council of the Haida Nation, and Heiltsuk Nation. For this, $15.7 million has been allocated until 2026.
• Under the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund, DFO is funding an EGC mitigation and capacity development project to control and manage the spread of EGC in the Salish Sea and an Indigenous-led EGC monitoring and response program in Chatham Sound collectively equalling $1.5M (Pacific Region).

AIS as Bait
• Indigenous groups, commercial fishers, non-governmental organizations and others are interested in using AIS. The use of AIS is a tool to control the spread of AIS, to reduce pressures on wild stocks, and to create new food sources. Since 2010, a commercial fishery was created in Nova Scotia to capture EGC and allow its use as lobster bait. The decision to support the use of AIS is not meant to create sustainable fisheries.
• Decisions related to the use of AIS must be taken with caution, to avoid negative impacts such as increasing the spread of an invasive species. DFO is drafting a timely and nationally cohesive process which will allow it to make judicious decisions when evaluating, for example, which type of fishing licences may be appropriate for the control and use of marine invasive species.
• DFO is exploring different options with regard to the potential uses of marine AIS, such as food, bait, compost, or pet food while taking into account: the need for on-going management and control of marine invasive species; the Government of Canada’s commitments to fisheries and biodiversity management; and economic opportunities for coastal communities.

Sea Lamprey
• The Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC) is a joint commission between Canada and the U.S. that was established in 1954, following the ratification of the Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries.
• The GLFC’s Sea Lamprey Control Program (SLCP) is a binational program, implemented in partnership with DFO, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• A coordinated, bi-national approach is essential as Sea Lamprey are established in all five Great Lakes, move freely between Canadian and U.S. waters, have no natural predators, and prey on all types of native fish.
• Budget 2022 identified an additional $45 million over five years and $9 million ongoing to enable DFO and the GLFC to increase efforts to control Sea Lamprey, further facilitate collaborative fishery management, and provide additional support to Great Lakes research.
• From April to November each year, DFO staff from the SLCP assess Sea Lamprey populations, treat infested waterways, and evaluate the effectiveness of control efforts within the Great Lakes region, including within the U.S.

If pressed on new investments to fight against aquatic invasive species in Canada
• The 2022 Fall Economic Statement identified $36.6 million over five years to fight aquatic invasive species in Canada.
• Of this funding, $25.6 million is dedicated to strengthening operations while increasing early detection and response activities, including at international borders, to prevent aquatic invasive species from entering and spreading in Canada.
• The remainder includes $8.75 million in contribution funding to launch the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund to create new partnerships and facilitate on-the-ground preventive actions.

Prairies
• In the Prairies, Zebra mussels are established in the Lake Manitoba watershed and have been found in Clear Lake, Riding Mountain National Park. My Department is supporting Parks Canada to ensure a timely and coordinated response in the event that response measures are required in the region.
• In July 2024, Zebra mussels were found in a reservoir in
St. Malo Provincial Park in southeastern Manitoba. The Province of Manitoba is the lead on the response effort.
Funding in British Columbia
• In British Columbia, my Department supports the Province’s prevention and early detection efforts for aquatic invasive species by generating scientific advice, conducting risk assessments, and implementing and supporting enforcement actions.
• My Department is providing funding of up to $540,000 since 2023 to 2025 for the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, and contributed more than $475,000 in 2022-23 through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Province to support British Columbia’s invasive mussel defense program.
• In addition, my Department contributed $384,518 toward invasive mussel early detection activities in 2019 and $568,280 toward aquatic invasive species monitoring and education (including invasive mussels) in 2024 through the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk.

Québec and Eastern Canada
• In eastern Canada, Zebra mussels are established in the St. Lawrence River and were newly detected in Quebec in Lake Massawippi in 2021, and Lake Temiscouata in 2022. Monitoring activities conducted during the summer of 2023 indicate that Zebra mussels have potentially been detected in eight other lakes in the Bas-St-Laurent region. My Department is working with the Provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick and local stakeholders to mitigate further spread of the species.
• On August 25, 2023, Zebra mussels were observed visually at a hydroelectric dam located on the Madawaska River, in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Experts confirmed that the reported species were Zebra mussels. This marked the first confirmed visual detection of live Zebra mussels in New Brunswick.
• In December 2024, during an inspection operation of floating docks in New Brunswick, officials from my Department discovered the presence of adult Zebra mussels in Mactaquac, near Fredericton, in the Wolastoq (Saint John) River. This was the first sighting of the invasive freshwater mussel in the main branch of the Wolastoq (Saint John) River and in the southwest region of the province.
• In 2023, the Government—via my Department—provided $476,475 to the Organisme de bassin versant du fleuve
Saint-Jean through the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund with the goal of developing an action plan to limit the spread of Zebra mussels throughout the St. John River watershed.
• In 2024, in New Brunswick, my Department acquired three decontamination stations. They work closely with the province and the New Brunswick Invasive Species Council to decontaminate recreational boats at fishing events, while promoting the “Clean, Drain, and Dry” message.
If pressed on European Green Crab
• We are concerned by the significant impacts that European Green Crab, found on both coasts of Canada, can have on estuarine and marine ecosystems, fisheries, and aquaculture industries.
• We collaborate with numerous partners including Indigenous governments and communities, provincial governments, and U.S. state and federal governments to address the threats that this species poses.
• European Green Crab was detected in Notre Dame Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, in August 2024. My Department is working with partners to undertake additional monitoring to determine appropriate response efforts.
• My Department will continue to lead management activities on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts to mitigate the spread and the impacts of this invasive species.

If pressed on Asian Carps
• In 2017, our Government invested $16 million over five years and $4 million ongoing in the Asian Carp Program to ensure Canada’s Great Lakes are protected from the harmful impacts of Asian carps.
• Our Government takes a comprehensive preventative approach to addressing the threat of these species in the
Great Lakes, especially Grass Carp, and works collaboratively with U.S., Ontario, and Quebec government partners.
• Asian carps have not established in the Canadian waters of the Great Lakes thanks to organized surveillance and response efforts. My Department shares responsibility for early detection and response efforts in Ontario waters of the Great Lakes with the Province of Ontario, and supports Grass Carp response in Quebec with the Province of Quebec.
If pressed on Goldfish
• Goldfish, a non-indigenous species, have been released into Canadian waters where they may reproduce and impact ecosystems and native fish species.
• Introducing fish in areas where they are not native is illegal under the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations, and we will continue to promote education and outreach with the public to prevent introductions of aquatic invasive species.
• The presence of Goldfish in freshwater systems in Canada is an issue that my Department continues to monitor.

If pressed on Vase Tunicate
• Vase Tunicate is an invasive species present on the Atlantic coast. Once established, it has negative impacts on aquaculture (including to mussels and oysters).
• In Quebec, up to 2021, Vase Tunicate was found in
Cap-aux-Meules (part of the Magdalen Islands). Since then, it has spread to other marinas of the archipelago.
• We are working with local partners and provinces to slow the spread of the species throughout the Magdalen Islands archipelago, on Prince Edward Island, and in Newfoundland and Labrador.
• In Newfoundland and Labrador, my Department is working with Harbour Authorities to control expanding Vase Tunicate populations and to prevent spread.

If pressed on Sea Lamprey
• The Sea Lamprey Control Program is a binational program administered by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to protect native fish species and fisheries in the Great Lakes from invasive Sea Lampreys.
• A coordinated approach between the U.S. and Canada is necessary for the control and management of Sea Lamprey that are established in all five Great Lakes and move freely between Canadian and U.S. waters.
• My Department continues to implement the Sea Lamprey Control Program by monitoring population levels, treating infested waterways, and evaluating the effectiveness of control efforts within the Great Lakes.