PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 21, 2023
A freshwater mussel that has infested lakes and rivers around the world is creeping closer to Maine, with confirmed sightings in Canada less than 30 miles from the Maine border. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife issued a warning Monday, calling attention to a new law requiring boaters to drain any water that might contain microscopic larvae and bring zebra mussels into Maine waters. “Zebra mussels have not yet been confirmed in any water of the state of Maine, but represent a high threat level to the health of our waters, fish and wildlife,” the agency said. “Zebra mussel infestations result in irreversible negative impacts on native species and water body systems and are nearly impossible to eradicate once introduced.”