Ontario adds 10 new invasive species to registry

Experts are asking people to do their part to prevent the spread of invasive species in northern Ontario after the province added 10 new species to its restricted and prohibited lists.

Most of the new species have been added to the prohibited list, which means they aren't actually in Ontario yet, said Derissa Vincentini, community science coordinator with the Invasive Species Centre in Sault Ste. Marie.

"It's really important to get on top of that prevention portion when we talk about invasive species, because that's where we get the better bang for our buck," she said. "It's cheaper and more effective to start with prevention rather than waiting until a species is here. So limiting that ability to sell or trade or move and grow these species in Ontario is really important, and will help in that defence against invasive species."

The province announced earlier this month the following species will be added to the prohibited list, effective Jan. 1:

• Ide (fish)
• Eastern and Western Mosquito Fishes (fish)
• Red Shiner (fish)
• Oxygen Weed (aquatic plant)
• Nutria (mammal)
• Genus Salvinia (Watermoss – aquatic plant), and
• Genus Procambarus and Genus Pacifastacus (Crayfish)

Meanwhile, five species were added to the restricted list, meaning they may already be in Ontario, but if so, they aren't widespread.

• Eurasian Water-milfoil (aquatic plant)
• Floating Primrose-willow (aquatic plant)
• Flowering-rush (aquatic plant)
• Tree-of-heaven (terrestrial plant), and 
• Genus Azolla (Water Ferns – aquatic plant).

One now-restricted species that can be found in northern Ontario is the Eurasian Water-milfoil, Vincentini said.

"It's not in every single lake or anything like that," she said. "But the main thing to focus on is that prevention strategy."

Vincentini said the plant can spread very easily, which leads to potential problems.

"Even just dislodging it within the water body that it is located, or cutting a part of it with your boat prop or anything like that," she said. "Those little pieces can then move down stream or to another location in that lake or get hooked onto your boat and be moved to another lake."

"It can then produce a new plant just from a piece of an existing plant."

The province said the Eurasian Water-milfoil is being added to the list out of concern that it will "outcompete native vegetation, adversely affect water quality, impede recreational activities and create habitat for mosquitoes."

The Red Shiner is also a concern, although it hasn't been found in Ontario as yet, said Jenna White, program development coordinator at the Invasive Species Centre.

"Their known, introduced range includes states like Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, North Carolina, Alabama, North Dakota, and Colorado," White said. "There's always concern in the Great Lakes region for for species like this, because they do have the capacity to to travel."

The Red Shiner's primary form of spread has been through release, as the species is used as a bait fish, White said, and may be released by anglers after they're finished fishing.

However, they're also kept in aquariums, and owners could release Red Shiners if they no longer wish to care for them, White said.

If the Red Shiner were to make its way to Ontario, the species has a number of invasive characteristics, she said.

"They're known to be generalists," she said. "They're very widespread ecologically, general environmentally-tolerant fish. And so because of this they can survive in a bunch of different habitats."

Red Shiners outcompete native species in terms of reproduction, and while they do have natural predators, they also outpace those predators with their reproduction capacity.

"The biggest thing that they can do is is eat the eggs and larvae of native fish species found in locations where they have been introduced," White said.

White said there are ways to prevent the spread of Red Shiners. Those include not dumping bait fish in natural water bodies, and not releasing any aquarium fish, no matter the species.

Vincentini said it's important people in Ontario learn to identify invasive species and how they spread, and take steps to prevent that from happening.

"Cleaning your boat before moving it over to another water body," she said. "Brushing your boots when you're hiking from one trail to the next."

"These are simple things that people can do to prevent invasive species, regardless of which species it is," Vincentini said. "And I think that that is the most impactful thing that everyday people can do."