The Régie du Parc régional Massawippi launched an awareness campaign for boaters and fishermen in mid-April with the goal of preserving the quality of Lake Massawippi.
The campaign, running under the slogan “Mussells should be on a plate, not in our lake,” targets the budding zebra mussel infestation that began just a few years ago. According to a press release, boaters need to be aware of the obligation to wash their boats before taking off.
The Régie unites the five municipalities bordering the lake. The first sight of zebra mussels and their larvae, veliger mussels, came back in the fall of 2021, which prompted an immediate response by local conservation groups. There are washing stations at both ends of the lake.
The Régie President Hélène Daneau said they work with alongside Bleu Massawippi, the Conseil régional de l’environnement de l’Estrie, the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, COGESAF and the MRC de Memphrémagog.