De La Hunt Media - KK Radio Network

Minnesota anglers and boaters can’t wait for that second week in May to dip their boats in the lakes and catch some fish. However, a law passed last year requires that all watercraft have a sticker on board listing the state’s rules about aquatic invasive species before fishermen can take their boats out. For those fishermen that are not aware that these stickers are required, details from the DNR report the stickers are required for boats, canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, personal and all watercrafts. The stickers have been hard to find but are now available at all Department of Motor Vehicle offices across the state, said Mike Scott, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer who specializes in aquatic invasive species. The stickers are also available at all DNR regional offices. Some boaters don’t like the idea of “flattering” their boat with a sticker and some don’t have a lot of room for them. The DNR offers options such as laminating the sticker and placing them on a piece of Plexiglas, drill a hole and put it on a key ring or on a canoe, tie it to a thwart. This law also allows law enforcement officers to execute road checks to inspect watercraft for any invasive species. One of the state’s pressure-washing decontamination units will be stationed at each road check. If boats display invasive species on them, the pressure washers will clean the boats before they can proceed. One of these units will be stationed at Jay Cooke State Park, to be used on nearby waters such as the St. Louis River, Pike Lake, Mille Lacs, along with many more. Mike Scott said anglers are expected to know the invasive species rules, as most were effective as of last summer. Scott also noted that DNR officers will be more likely to issue tickets than warnings this summer.