Red Tag, Blue Tag Boats: Prevent Invasive Mussels

[Flyfish4thrills]

First, I want to give props to Brett Prettyman for bringing this to my attention on his blog http://blogs.sltrib.com/fishing/index.php , and to Kim Allen Chapman who originated the idea and to the Minnesota Star Tribune for printing it. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/comme...page=1&c=y

If you haven't read this piece, please go there and do so.

In a nutshell, this ecologist proposes that all boats be tagged red or blue. Red for contaminated waters and blue for uncontaminated waters. One could only use their boat on one or the other. This would be easier to enforce, eliminate cleaning stations, and hopefully go a lot further in preventing the spread of invasive species to our waters. The opinion piece describes it far better, so please go there to read it.

Do I want to be restricted on where I use my only boat? Of course not. It would really hamper my fishing at Mead and possibly Powell in the future. However, I think that the State Legislature should seriously consider this option, before all of our waters are ruined.
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[hollynkait]

There has to be SOMETHING to keep them under control. Everything has a predator. Over seas, what eats these things? With as much damage as they do to machinery, you would think they would have found a way to destroy them by now.
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[RILEYFISH]

Its only a matter of time and they will be every place. Sad? Very much so. I am not looking forward to it. I can only hope that each of us is responsible enough and cares enough about our precious fishing waters and will take the neccesary precautions to clean our boats, trailers, waders and such and not pass this on.

Its already in many small lakes and streams around the state that so many that eitehr dont care or dont have a clue will un knowingly or with not a care will pass it to other no contaminated waters and then,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Something that we will all be dealing with forever!!!!
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[Troll]

I made the personal decision to not put my boat into any suspect waters this year all on my own.
It was a simple decision to make.
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[FishinHippy]

Good idea.....BUT....

The boats are only one way these invasive species are being transported. If they can figure out a way for the birds to adhere to that policy then we would have a good shot at it. Like Riley said, unfortunately they will eventually make it into all waters. Also, the testing of waters, is also a factor. By the time a water is designated to be infected, likely people (unknowingly) have already spread the mussels into other waters.

I wish it was that simple, but I think the states and the feds need to move from containment to focus on controlling them without devastating the ecology of our waters.

Has anyone seen any research on controlling or eliminating these things? Anything promising?
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[packfish]

[quote FishinHippy]Good idea.....BUT....

The boats are only one way these invasive species are being transported. If they can figure out a way for the birds to adhere to that policy then we would have a good shot at it. Like Riley said, unfortunately they will eventually make it into all waters. Also, the testing of waters, is also a factor. By the time a water is designated to be infected, likely people (unknowingly) have already spread the mussels into other waters.

I wish it was that simple, but I think the states and the feds need to move from containment to focus on controlling them without devastating the ecology of our waters.

Has anyone seen any research on controlling or eliminating these things? Anything promising?[/quote]

Pretty much the truth------ we aren't stopping them when birds can eat them and out they come whole and alive.
Not saying this isn't something we need to be worried about and do our best to control but it didn't wipe out the Great Lakes as was advertised to begin with.
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[toyguy]

Beyond ludicrous.

Mr. Chapman is just another neophyte who thinks a black and white solution will solve all: “A quarantine -- choose either infested or uninfested waters for your boat -- is the only approach that will work.”

“But what I want to offer is a simple proposal to deal with the zebra mussel here in Minnesota.”

Simple ought to be replaces with “simpleton”. Or maybe “draconian”.

Mr. Chapman ought to do some homework on the concept of legal prohibition of an activity. It doesn’t work. Think gun laws, alcohol laws, drug laws.

Mr. Chapman ought to rethink his assumption that by eliminating boats, the problem will be taken care of. Waders, bird droppings, downstream current will still be there.

He wants to offer a simple solution??? How about keep your boat out of the water for 7 days. Why on earth does it need to be more difficult than that? PARTICULARLY SINCE MOST BOATERS DRY DOCK THEIR BOATS.

Mr. Chapman is just another statist who thinks the government can solve all, and he’s gonna attempt to guilt me when all else fails: ” Even though they would like to put their boat in where they please, they might listen to their better angels in order to save Lake Vermilion from zebra mussel invasion”

How dare he imply that I don’t have a "better angel" if I don’t agree with his crap. This just reeks of political correctness and feel-good socialism. I would love to know Chapman’s stand on the ban on sport-fishing in select countries in Europe. I sense he may be a sympathizer of all things [url "http://www.fishinghurts.com/feat-dogfish.asp?c=1509&gclid=CNnVnoD4u5YCFQkiagodvGNiKw"][#800080]http://www.fishinghurts.com/feat-dogfish.asp?c=1509&gclid=CNnVnoD4u5YCFQkiagodvGNiKw[/#800080][/url]

Keep your flippin boat out of the water for 7 days! Boating portion of the problem solved!

Flyfish4thrills wrote: "However, I think that the State Legislature should seriously consider this option, before all of our waters are ruined."

And should such a ridiculous law be passed, would you welcome a clause in that law that would say that if mussels are found in a water body AFTER the law is passed, that the law is a de facto UNSUCCESSFUL deterrent and the law shall be rescinded?

Flyfish4thrills, if you think the Legislature should seriously consider this option, then I look forward to fighting you in a public forum. Please be prepared to discuss failures of other prohibitions, your views on penalties for red/blue law violation, 7-day dry docking, mandatory take-out decontam, and the failure of this suggestion to negate the other potential sources of water-body contamination.

Fishing Hippy wrote: ” Has anyone seen any research on controlling or eliminating these things? Anything promising?

Gee, I guess Mr. Chapman overlooked this:

http://www.atlantisinstructors.com/index...4&Itemid=2
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[FishinHippy]

Hey thanks for that link, it's the first article I have seen that is promising. When I was at Cabelas on my lunch I saw a brochure trying to educate people on precautions to take for boaters right next to the hunting guides. I know I have seen this website on here before, [url "http://www.100thmeridian.org/"][/url]www.100thmeridian.org[/url]. While I think it is great that they are trying to educate and spread the message, I think they need to tell people the whole truth about all the ways they are transported and give better guides to cleaning and decontamination of everything that comes in contact with the water. Here is the PDF of the brochure I found, it makes it seem like boats are the only way to spread them.

What about a thread discussing the preventive measures we all are taking, then I would be happy to assemble a pdf of the best of the best ideas.
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