OLYMPIA, Wash. — As head of the state of Washington's aquatic invasive species task force, Eric Anderson is responsible for training commercial inspectors, field officers and the general public on how to detect and control the spread of invasive species, particularly quagga and zebra mussels.
"I realize that bass anglers take great care of their boats, but many still need help in developing a boat cleaning protocol," Anderson said.
"I was performing inspections at Banks Lake in Washington and a man towing a spotless bass boat pulled in with Oregon plates on the trailer. When I looked in the livewells, I discovered about 5 gallons of water in each with small invertebrates swimming around inside. Though the exterior of his boat was totally clean, he still posed a threat of spreading unwanted species."
Anderson said all anglers should develop a cleaning protocol that they follow every time they leave a body of water. Here is a simple summary of his suggestions
