The Manitoba government is going to strengthen its fight against zebra mussels by bringing in detection dogs for sniffing out the presence of the invasive species.

On Thursday, Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Tom Nevakshonoff, said that after a successful training period, last weekend the dog was deployed at Emerson. It will assist at high-risk and high-traffic watercraft inspection stations and border crossings in Manitoba when available.

The dog is known as Fauna. It can detect the presence of mollusk on watercraft and water-related equipment.

The invasive freshwater mussels reproduce at a very fast rate. They attach themselves to boats and once they get established, they can clog water taking pipes and machinery. They also choke out native species, disrupting the food chain.

In October 2013, Zebra mussels were found for the first time in Manitoba. So far, the state has tried to treat four harbors with potash to get rid of them.

The province has put the ads and billboards across the harbors, asking people to clean their boats and equipment properly. It has also urged people to dispose of any bait or water while leaving the lake.

Furthermore, it has also launched its watercraft inspection program for the third consecutive summer. This time it has six decontamination units for making sure that the boats don’t carry the mussels or their larvae.

Watercraft inspectors have started taking decontamination units to locations, including the Emerson and Boissevain border crossings, and the Selkirk Park and Pine Falls boat launches. They have inspected over 200 watercraft and performed decontaminations from May 21 to 25.

Nevakshonoff said, “We took an aggressive approach to control zebra mussels last year in four harbours but mussels survived outside the harbours, so now more than ever, we need everyone's support and vigilance”.