Don't Be A Nuisance: Clean Your Boat

As a parent of three young kids I often find myself explaining common warnings, like not touching a hot grill or fillet knife, about three different ways to get the point across.

"It's hot and will burn.”

“It's sharp and can cut you."

It’s all simple, universally understood rationale, but nevertheless until they take it to heart, the need to repeat outweighs my exasperation in having to say it time and again. That isn't much of a deviation from what fisheries biologists and managers might feel regarding the continued need for vigilance in preventing the introduction or spread of aquatic nuisance species in North Dakota.

Few will argue about the need to prevent intentional or unintentional spread of aquatic plants such as curly leaf pondweed, or rough fish such as carp or bullheads. Most people, if they discovered a potential lake killer, would dispose of it properly and not purposely release or transport it.

The good thing is that discovering ANS, or preventing the spread of hidden or unknown species, is not expensive or overly burdensome in terms of money and time. It’s as simple as not dumping your minnow bucket, and removing any and all weeds attached to your boat, personal watercraft, paddleboat, fishing gear or other equipment before leaving the lake – not waiting until you arrive at the next lake or at home.

Over the past few years society has put more impetus on the responsibility of water users to intentionally look for and prevent their own personal transportation of any aquatic nuisance species. What began in North Dakota as suggestions or guidelines are now laws that first took effect last year.

The objective for these laws is not so game wardens can write more tickets. Without a law that is enforceable, however, there’s little deterrence for those who are lazy or simply not inclined to remove ANS.

With that in mind, the message has been out in print and on the air for several years. I've made a personal commitment to keep repeating the message, rather than crossing my fingers and assuming everyone has already taken the message to heart.

We'll continue to stress the long-term negatives of carp, zebra mussels, Eurasian water milfoil and a host of others. As this summer’s boating season gets underway, here’s a refresher on North Dakota’s current regulations.

• All aquatic vegetation must be removed from boats, personal watercraft, trailers and associated equipment such as fishing poles/lures before leaving a body of water. That means transporting a watercraft and equipment away from a boat ramp, landing area or shoreline.
   
• All aquatic vegetation must be removed from bait buckets when leaving the water.
   
• All water must be drained from boats and other watercraft, including bilges, livewells, baitwells, motors and trailers before leaving a water body. The only exception is livewells that contain fish or bait may maintain water during transportation.
   
• You cannot transport live aquatic bait or aquatic vegetation into North Dakota. All water must be drained from watercraft upon entering the state.
   
• It is illegal to dump bait into any North Dakota water.
   
• More information, including a full question and answer section is available on the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov, and in the fishing regulations guide.

Please understand that the Game and Fish Department simply wants to protect the state’s waterways. They belong to all of us.

Like the “sharp knife” message, we don’t want to find out first-hand the damage an aquatic nuisance species can produce in your favorite fishing water.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

Photo Credit:  NDGF