Originally, this species, also known as the quagga mussel, was only found in the tributaries of the Black Sea. Now it is spreading rapidly in the lakes and rivers of German-speaking countries in Europe – with serious consequences for the environment – and for recreational boaters in Switzerland who want to change their stomping grounds.
An intruder that does not belong there is spreading in the lakes of southern Germany and Switzerland. Its Latin name is Dreissena bugensis, which translates as “quagga mussel” or “quagga triangle mussel.” Wherever this sharp-edged creature appears, it reproduces rapidly, displacing native species and causing massive damage to infrastructure.
The mussel likes to attach itself to ship hulls and is thus transported over long distances. This is how it made its way from its native habitat in the tributaries of the Black Sea to the waters of German-speaking countries.
To prevent the further spread of the Quagga, Switzerland currently has a ship reporting and cleaning obligation, or SMRP for short, which is causing quite a stir among boat owners. “Quagga mussels trigger official madness,” was the media-friendly headline on the news platform insideparadeplatz.ch. Zurich boat owners are being ‘bossed around with coercive measures,’ it says, forcing them to go to approved cleaning stations that are “in the middle of nowhere.”
The Baden-Württemberg portal bw24.de also speaks of “Quagga madness on Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg”: an invasive mussel is making the Swabian Sea unsafe; health authorities and the DLRG warn in the article: “Nasty mussel species wreaking havoc in Lake Constance,” with “more and more injuries.”
Switzerland wants to prevent further spread with ship reporting and cleaning requirements
In order to at least prevent the mussel from spreading rapidly, Switzerland has now pulled the emergency brake since the end of September last year: with the SMRP, which can be read on the website of the Building and Transport Directorate of the Canton of Bern.
Specifically, this means that, as of September 23, 2024, registered boats on Swiss waters must be reported and cleaned before changing waters. Boat owners must use an online form to report their planned change of waters. After registering via the electronic reporting platform, the boat or yacht must be cleaned at an approved cleaning facility.
It should be noted that the cleaning requirement applies not only to the vessel in question, but also to all accessories such as trailers. Tip from the authorities: ideally, the vessel in question should be cleaned “near the lake from which you are launching.”
All parts of the vessel that have come into contact with lake water or the quagga mussel must be scrubbed with hot water; the cooling water must also be treated
In practice, this means that all parts of the vessel that have come into contact with seawater or mussels (i.e., not just the hull) must be pressure washed with water at a temperature of at least 70 degrees Celsius; the cooling water circuit must also be flushed with appropriately hot water for a prolonged period.
Only then does the ship owner automatically receive a “launching permit” and is allowed to launch the ship elsewhere. The permit must be carried on board the ship, either digitally or in printed form, and presented during inspections.
While the actual registration and clearance process is free of charge, the cleaning must be paid for by each boat owner who wishes to change waters (for example, to participate in a regatta on another lake) (approx. 320 euros, plus any costs for craning/slipway and transport of the boat).
For smaller boats or water sports equipment without a registration number, only a thorough cleaning recommendation applies.
Exception: on inter-cantonal lakes on the edge of the Jura, a change of waters (information sheets) must be reported, but there is currently an exemption from the cleaning requirement when changing to the Jura peripheral lakes water system (Lakes of Morat, Neuchâtel, and Biel, the Aare River up to Aarberg, connecting canals, and the Aare River below Lake Biel to the cantonal border at Murgenthal).
However, strict reporting and cleaning requirements apply in the cantons of Central Switzerland, in the canton of Aargau on Lake Hallwil, and in the cantons of Graubünden, St. Gallen, and Zurich.
Recommendation for owners of “unregistered boats and water sports equipment” (inflatable boats, kayaks, etc.): thorough cleaning before each change of waterway is merely “recommended.”
