HELENA — Inspections for aquatic invasive species in Montana continue through October, but the state has already set an annual record for the number of watercraft inspected.
The Independent Record reports that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks inspected more than 110,000 boats and other watercraft as of last Friday. That is up from just under 110,000 inspected in 2018 through the state’s program to stop the spread of invasive mussels, plants and other wildlife.
At 45 inspection stations, 14 boats carrying invasive mussels were stopped this year. That is down slightly from last year, when 16 boats were stopped for carrying either quagga or zebra mussels.
Game wardens also wrote more than 100 citations and issued more than 200 written warnings for failing to stop at inspection stations.