Ontario's Liberal government will introduce legislation it hopes will give authorities more power to deal with Asian carp, zebra mussels and other invasive species.

The Invasive Species Act will replace a patchwork of 20 other bills and help co-ordinate efforts to deal with non-native species that threaten local ecosystems.

Natural Resources Minister David Orazietti says the bill will make it easier to create new rules and regulations on invasive species, including penalties for people who bring them into Ontario.

He says one truck was stopped at the U-S border trying to bring about 17-thousand kilograms of live Asian carp into the province.