Julien St-Jean
Rapides des Joachims July 26, 2021
The Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks (MFFP) announced on July 26 that an invasive species of zooplankton has been found in the Ottawa River near Rapides des Joachims.
The MFFP warned that zooplankton, known as the spiny water flea, can reproduce very quickly, which the MFFP warns could have major impacts on the local food chain, particularly on fish and the species they consume, because of how it competes with other zooplankton which local fish rely on for food.
The spiny water flea had previously been seen in the Ottawa River near Timiskaming, but this is the first time it’s been reported in the Outaouais.
According to the MFFP, the spiny water flea is likely to have spread further downstream of the Ottawa River beyond Rapides des Joachims.
“[The spiny water flea] can attach to watercraft and survive for a long time,” warned the MFFP in a press release. “They can easily be transported to new bodies of water by boats, kayaks or other types of watercraft or poorly cleaned equipment, including fishing gear.”
To account for this, the MFFP asked that boaters washboats thoroughly before moving them to new bodies of water.
More information on how to prevent the spread of the spiny water flea can be found at https://mffp.gouv.qc.ca/la-faune/especes/envahissantes/methodes-prevention/
