‘A losing battle’

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This article was published 16/06/2017 (2502 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ROBERT Kristjanson has spent a lifetime on Lake Winnipeg, but he has never been as worried about the health of the lake as he is now.

“This is the most fearful I have ever been, because I have sons and I have grandsons, and our lives are out on that water,” the 83-year-old Gimli-based commercial fisherman said.

“I’ll be dead and gone, but it’s the kids and the grandkids that are on my mind.”

Kristjanson’s family has been in the commercial fishing business since 1890, and in those almost 130 years, fishing has been far more than just a way to make a living for his family and his descendants.

“From a young age, my whole life has been water. This is a deep-rooted family tradition. This is in our blood. It’s not just something you do, it’s something that is a part of you.”

Kristjanson still works 12-hour days, but said he’s been “gravely concerned” about the future of the family business and Lake Winnipeg since invasive zebra mussels were discovered in the water in October 2013.

“They’re here now, and they will spread. It’s just absolutely unreal how they reproduce. It’s a losing battle,” Kristjanson said.

The province’s website on aquatic invasive species says zebra mussels can threaten fish and wildlife, clog drinking water supply pipes and clog boat engines.

Kristjanson has children and grandchildren in the family business, but because of zebra mussels he’s not sure how much longer his family will be able to fish Lake Winnipeg.

“I have two grandsons getting ready to set their nets now, but no one knows how bad it is, or how bad it’s going to get,” he said.

“A farmer can look out over his field and see everything, but as a fishermen, you look out and you see nothing.”

It was more than 20 years ago that Kristjanson first witnessed zebra mussels in the Great Lakes in Ontario and back then, he believed it was only a matter of time before those mussels made their march into Manitoba waters.

“I saw what was in the nets, I saw piles of nets on the shores full of zebra mussels. These zebra mussels were marching then, and they kept right on marching, and they will keep right on marching,” he said.

Warning Manitobans about zebra mussels is something he said he’s been doing for the last two decades.

“I met every politician and every minister,” Kristjanson said. “I’ve talked to them face to face and I’ve had them on the phone, but you could not get through to anyone.”

Kristjanson believes Lake Winnipeg will be devastated.

He said he believes, over time, the mussels will remove nutrients in the lake, leading to the extinction of species, including numerous species of fish, and that could spell the end of commercial and sport fishing in Lake Winnipeg.

Sport fisherman Mark Klimchuk, president of the Walleye Anglers Association of Manitoba, said he and many sport fishers he knows are not in “panic mode” just yet, but are keeping a close eye on the situation.

If sport fishing in Manitoba is hurt, it could have a devastating effect on the economy, Klimchuk said, claiming the industry in Manitoba brings in more than $400 million annually.

“From fishing comes tourism, travel expenses, fuel, tackle, hotels. I really don’t think people realize all that sport fishing does for this economy in the summer and in the winter.”

Karen Franklin has spent summers at a cottage in Grand Beach that has been in her family for more than 50 years.

“It’s scary for a lot of the people around here,” 53-year-old Franklin said. “I think there’s a real possibility these mussels could come in and kill the lake with the way they feed and with what they take out of the lake.”

Selkirk resident Teresa Newton recently discovered clusters of zebra mussels washed up on the shores while walking along Grand Beach and she posted pictures of her discovery on her Instagram account on May 20.

Franklin said she is worried about the safety of those walking along Grand Beach and other Lake Winnipeg beaches.

“They are very sharp and if they get washed on shore you cut your feet. It’s like having broken glass on the shoreline,” Franklin said.

“I hope to one day be able to take my future grandchildren to the beach, but if the beach is covered with these zebra mussels you could not bring children there.”

Scott Higgins is a research scientist with the International Institute for Sustainable Development and has been studying zebra mussels since 2001. He currently sits on a task force created by the province to provide insight on zebra mussels.

Higgins said he understands the concern about mussels, but said any talk of the death of Lake Winnipeg is “premature.”

“Zebra mussels have become the poster child for invasive species for a good reason,” Higgins said. “A single species moves into a lake, and it really fundamentally changes the way the ecosystem operates.

“I think there is a concern the fishery will be impacted, but I highly doubt the fishery is simply going to collapse because of zebra mussels. I understand the fear, but this may not be as severe as people believe it could be.”

He also said no scientist and no lake user can predict the outcomes.

“The challenge is always that every lake is different, and Lake Winnipeg is so unique because it’s very large and shallow and has a lot of nutrients.

“It makes it difficult to compare Lake Winnipeg to what we have learned from other lakes, but in my opinion at this point any talk of the death of the lake is overblown.

“We know the broad impacts of zebra mussels, but it’s going to require careful study.”

There is a possibility the mussels could continue to head west and that has other provinces concerned about a possible invasion. That is why Higgins said Manitoba and other provinces must now put their efforts into stopping the continued spread of zebra mussels.

He said it is crucial boaters clean their boats and drain any water from their boats to help stop the spread.

“Lake Winnipeg isn’t the end of the story, it’s the beginning of the story.”