Alberta considering annual watercraft pass to keep invasive species out
Posted July 26, 2025 10:30 am.
Last Updated July 28, 2025 3:33 pm.
Albertans could see an annual pass for their watercraft, as the government wants feedback on one that would be used to keep invasive species out of the province’s waters.
The species, Zebra and Quagga mussels, can clog irrigation pipes, damage pumps, and disrupt water delivery. Zebra mussels alone can cause up to $500 million annually, according to the province.
Revenue from the annual pass which could could cost boaters $30 or more each year — would be used to increase Alberta’s defences against invasive species.
University of Alberta associate professor Mark Poesch believes it could be money well spent on more inspection stations and education campaigns, saying mussels are wreaking havoc in other neighbouring provinces and states.
“They attach onto the bottom of substrates, they attach onto pipes. They can be in numbers of 700,000 per metre squared. And so they clog a lot of aquatic infrastructure, so every year we prevent them from coming here saves us hundreds of millions of dollars,” Poesch told CityNews.
The pass and the fee would apply to big boats, but the government’s working definition also includes smaller things like canoes and kayaks. Even paddleboards could need a pass.
Some online believe a fee for paddleboards is ridiculous, but others see the logic.
“People with paddleboards, in particular inflatable paddleboards, don’t think about the fact that they can still be carrying these invasive species into the province,” said Todd Zimmerling, the president and CEO of the Alberta Conservation Association. “If they happen to use them outside of the province, there’s nothing to prevent them from attaching to an inflatable.”
Albertans can provide feedback on the cost of the pass and how it should be applied, whether it should be one per boat or operator.
Brady Preston, who lives much of his life on Wabamun Lake, has taken the survey. He believes the solution is more education and inspections — not fees.
“It’s a public lake and they’re dinging you to put your boat in the water to start with. Another fee just seems like its a little over the top,” Preston said.
“We have only a few months of summer, we want to go out on the water and enjoy it,” added Alberta boater Samantha Lushney. “But it’s already so expensive that adding more fees is going to be really hard for people.”
WATCH: Alberta government floating idea of introducing annual watercraft pass
This comes after the province implemented mandatory inspections for every boat entering Alberta, whether paddled or motorized, earlier in the year. It includes 11 water inspection stations, K-9 inspection teams, and mobile decontamination teams.
The province says it’s currently 100 per cent free of the invaders, but adds the risk is ramping up across North America.
Alberta became the first Canadian province to require the inspection of watercraft from high-risk areas.
If there is no inspection station or the nearest one is closed, the province says watercraft crossing high-risk borders must be inspected before launch and within seven days or risk fines up to $4,200. Watercraft owners will receive a sticker to show proof of inspection.
The inspections are estimated to cost $18 million over the next five years.
Nearly 13,500 watercraft inspections were completed in 2024, which the government says is the most since 2019. There were 15 watercraft confirmed positive for invasive mussels.
The survey is available online until Aug. 25.
–With files from Sean Amato in Edmonton
