The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has joined the national war effort against invasive weed species
It has been given a $50 million budget and orders to eliminate pests that destroy landscapes.
“CFIA has not been in the weed business up to now. It was mostly plants and insects,” said Barb Njie of CFIA’s plant health division.
The agency has increased its diagnostic laboratory capacity and hired biologists, entomologists and nematologists to help diagnose and identify weeds.
Canada’s struggle with pests as diverse as mountain pine beetles and leafy spurge were in the spotlight recently at the North American Weed Management Association convention in Calgary.
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Many invasive species are stubborn weeds with no natural enemies that take over native landscapes and ruin riparian shorelines.
Early settlers imported many of them while others were transported on boats or equipment or drifted in on water or wind.
Once established, many thrived.
The CFIA joins other federal departments in an $85 million, five-year battle against the invaders. The environment and fisheries and oceans departments have the job of mapping the extent of the problem and working on early detection, rapid response and eradication.
No federal legislation is expected because the government believes existing laws are sufficient to deal with these problems.
Fisheries and oceans will monitor ballast water discharged from ships to prevent the entry of unwanted species. Officials in charge of national forests must develop a pest strategy to control mountain pine beetles and Asian Longhorn beetles.
However, the agriculture department did not receive extra money to participate in the weed war, even though these plants have a devastating effect on crop and rangeland.
About 25 percent of Canadian weed species are alien and the problem has grown in the last 30 years with increased air and ship travel, increased exports, more interest in gardening and more access to foreign ecosystems, said CFIA invasive plants specialist Cory Lindgren.
Horticulture is to blame for two-thirds of new invasive species. Big box stores sell garden plants from around the world with insufficient labelling. As well, customers may not realize they are buying a potential pest.
The cost of alien species is more than $7.5 billion per year for control and damage to the environment
Leafy spurge infestations and control programs cost Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta $96 million per year. Knapweed costs British Columbia at least $479,000 per year.
“You are looking at a hidden tax of just over $2,000 per Canadian per year for invasive alien species,” Lindgren said.
However, there is little good Canadian data to measure the full cost and severity of the problem. CFIA is putting together a document for next year to measure the costs and develop effective ways to protect Canada’s land and water ecosystems.
Prevention will be the major priority because it is the most efficient way to manage invasive species. CFIA also plans to work with provincial groups such as the Alberta and B.C. invasive plant councils.
In Alberta the department of sustainable resources has had an invasive plant strategy since 1994. It works with other provincial departments to control pests such as common tansy, leafy spurge, oxeye daisy, scentless chamomile and tall buttercup, said Mike Undershultz, a provincial forest health officer.
Alberta’s sustainable resources department is in charge of forests, fish and wildlife, land use and rangeland where weeds are rampant. It controls weeds by applying pesticides, mowing, grazing and releasing predator insects. The most northern release of insects for scentless chamomile was near High Level. Three locations received the insects and follow up on their success starts next year.
The department also works on education and co-operation, working mainly with public land where grazing, recreation and oil and gas activity can introduce new weeds.
“It is not always the fault of the grazing association when it comes to weed infestation,” Undershultz said.
The department may share control costs with provincial grazing associations if heavy infestations cannot be attributed to the leaseholders.
Alberta’s agriculture department looks for ways that weeds could be introduced and stresses early detection and prevention.
Problem plants are handled through existing laws such as the weed control act. About $32 million is diverted to municipalities through agriculture service boards that are in charge of local weed control and conservation.
Kim Nielsen, co-chair of the Alberta Invasive Plants Council and an agriculture fieldman for Clearwater County in west-central Alberta, said the work is never ending because 50 plants in the province are considered invasive.
