Right.
My name is David O'Connor and I am the project manager at the Regional Environmental Council of Estrie. Before going any further, I want to clarify that I am here in my personal capacity, and not as a representative of the Regional Environmental Council of Estrie or of the Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l'environnement du Québec.
If you are wondering why I have come to talk to you about invasive aquatic species in the context of pollution, it is because no other pollutant containing so few contaminants can have as much impact as biological pollutants. Less than a millilitre of water contaminated by a species such as the zebra mussel, the quagga mussel or the spiny water flea can have major repercussions for our indigenous species, destroy the recreation and tourism economy, and create major costs for our municipalities for modifying and managing their water facilities.
Take the example of Lake Mégantic. When the disaster happened ten years ago, hundreds or even thousands of litres of petroleum products were spilled into the lake. Today, the lake is recovering. Compare that with Lake Temiskaming, where the spiny water flea has been introduced. A significant decline in the populations of perch and other recreational fishing species has been observed.
The federal government already plays an important role, and it is really important that it take the lead in the areas where it needs to act. A number of federal agencies have a role to play, including the Canadian Transportation Agency, which manages pleasure craft licences and pleasure craft operator cards. Outside the Great Lakes and watercourses where commercial vessels navigate, pleasure craft are the main source of contamination by invasive aquatic species.
In my work, I am developing a regional strategy to combat invasive aquatic species. This is a project funded by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. That is another role played by the federal government. In the course of this work, I have studied what happens elsewhere extensively.
I believe we are ten to 15 years behind the Western Aquatic Invasive Species Resource Center, an organization that brings together the states and provinces in western North America. At the border, in several states, the organization operates a boat inspection and decontamination station that is open 14 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It is illegal to pass one of these stations with a boat without stopping, regardless of whether it is a kayak or a water sports craft. These activities are funded by renewals of boat registrations and licences. A portion of the money collected is therefore used to support this effort.
In addition, I believe we are five to ten years behind New York state, which spends over $9 million per year just on a program that makes it possible to have individuals responsible for meeting people at boat launches and for inspecting and decontaminating boats.
It is essential that the federal government play a role to help municipalities, regions and provinces better manage invasive aquatic species. In Estrie alone, we have one of the most contaminated watercourses apart from the Great Lakes: Lake Champlain, which empties into Missisquoi Bay and feeds into the Richelieu River. The region also has several lakes that cross the international border. We therefore need to take action beyond the merely regional level.
Thank you.