The island of Ireland supports a major proportion (almost half) of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel (FPM) populations remaining in Europe. Virtually all of these populations are at unfavourable conservation status and evidence suggests that recruitment of juvenile mussels to the adult population has substantially failed in recent decades. Unless measures are put in place to ensure successful breeding and recruitment, the existing populations will go to extinction as the standing population of adult mussels dies off.
Donegal County Council, in partnership with Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), with consultancy support from RPS, delivered the Freshwater Pearl Mussel Project over a number of years. The project was funded under the INTERREG IV Programme through the Special EU Programmes Body or SEUPB.
The Project Study Area covered Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland.
Check out the Project Newsletters and Maggie the Mussel book and workbook.
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Autumn 2011
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Spring 2012 Newsletter
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Autumn 2012 Newsletter
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Spring 2013 Newsletter
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Fresh Water Pearl Mussel Summer 2014 Newsletter
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