Draft Details

2.1 General

This Standard outlines the minimum requirements and recommendations for the implementation of inspection, CDD, and decontamination practices to reduce the introduction and spread of AIS through watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment that are transported overland, between and within waterbodies. This Standard provides:

protocols for inspecting watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment  for  AIS and carriers, such as standing water, aquatic plants, and sediments;

requirements and recommendations for CDD  of watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment;

protocols for decontaminating watercraft, trailers, and water-related equipment for AIS;

requirements for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure worker safety;

requirements for solid waste and water management practices before, during, and after decontamination; and

requirements and recommendations for training, quality assurance, quality control, documentation, reporting, and record keeping.

2.2 Users

This Standard is intended for use by the following:

authorities having jurisdiction, including, but not limited to, federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous governments, Nations, organizations and agencies;

anyone that engages in activities that could lead to the spread of AIS via the movement of watercraft, trailers and water-related equipment, such as:

members of the public;

operators of public and private watercraft inspection and decontamination stations;

commercial and industrial entities;

environmental consultants, contractors, researchers and practitioners working in aquatic environments;

managers and operators of public and private marinas, boat launches, boatyards, waterways, or landscapes that include an aquatic component;

owners, operators, manufacturers and sellers of commercial and recreational watercraft, trailers, and water related equipment;

organizations, including conservation authorities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), that promote aquatic conservation, environmental education, invasive species awareness, stewardship, and outreach;

manufacturers of CDD and decontamination equipment; and

other stakeholders with a vested interest in AIS prevention.

2.3 Application

The requirements and recommendations provided in this Standard apply to watercraft under 24 meters in length, tow vehicles, trailers and water related equipment that are transported overland, between, or within waterbodies. This includes equipment used for any purpose that has direct contact with water (e.g., waders, boots, nets, ropes, pumps, sampling gear, anchors, docks, barges, boat lifts, rafts, buoys, decoys, angling gear, SCUBA, etc..

This Standard applies during all stages of inspection and decontamination, including:

Initial inspection for identifying, cleaning, and removal of AIS and biological material;

Draining and drying of water-holding compartments and equipment;

Decontamination procedures using heat, pressure, or approved chemical agents;

Collection, containment, and disposal of wastewater and biological material;

Use of PPE for personal, public, and environmental safety; and

Documentation and verification of completed decontamination procedures.

This Standard does not apply to:

Vessels over 24 m in length;

On water decontamination of watercraft and equipment;

Permanent in-water infrastructure, unless removed and transported; and

Emergency response and life-safety situations, including activities undertaken where immediate action is required to protect human life, public safety, or critical infrastructure, and where compliance with this Standard would result in unsafe delay.

2.4 Terminology

In this Standard, “shall” is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the Standard; “should” is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and “may” is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the Standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application.