Transported boat stopped for harboring unwanted mussels

Cotterel Port of Entry inspectors intercepted a boat last week as it was being transported from the Midwest through Idaho when they discovered mussels attached to the vessel.

A commercial hauler was transporting the boat from Michigan to Umatilla, Ore., when trained ITD inspectors discovered the banned parasites, according to a memo from Amy Ferriter of the Idaho Department of Agriculture.

“The POE staff has been trained to inspect oversized loads, and Mark Robinson did an excellent job in finding the mussels in the nooks and crannies at the stern of the boat,” Ferriter said.

The boat was decontaminated before being allowed to continue through Idaho.

“(This was) excellent interagency cooperation on the part of ITD – the system could not have worked better,” the Department of Agriculture spokesperson said. “Oregon did a great job of following up. This boat is a good example why the commercially hauled pathway is so important for us to target.”


Published 12-2-2011