The current distribution and status of the freshwater pearl mussel Margaritifera margaritifera L. 1758 in north-west Ireland
1. Margaritifera margaritifera populations are declining throughout its range, including Ireland, despite legislation designed to protect freshwater pearl mussels and their habitat. 2. A survey of freshwater pearl mussels was carried out on rivers in County Donegal, north‐west Ireland, to determine...
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Published in | Aquatic conservation Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 169 - 177 |
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Main Authors | , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Chichester
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
01.09.1996
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | 1. Margaritifera margaritifera populations are declining throughout its range, including Ireland, despite legislation designed to protect freshwater pearl mussels and their habitat.
2. A survey of freshwater pearl mussels was carried out on rivers in County Donegal, north‐west Ireland, to determine the current distribution, size and density of M. margaritifera populations, as well as to identify potential threats to mussels there.
3. The survey revealed the freshwater pearl mussel to be widespread, particularly in the western half of the county. However, densities of mussels at most sites are low, with just two sites having mussel densities of over 5 m−2. Furthermore, the species appears to be absent from a number of sites from which it had been previously recorded.
4. According to the literature, there is a long history of pearl fishing in Co. Donegal and neighbouring counties. Evidence from heaps of shells found on the river bed and banks at several sites and recent anecdotal reports from local people suggest pearl fishing is being practised on all rivers investigated during the present study.
5. The main conservation requirements for M. margaritifera populations in Donegal are to maintain water quality at its present high standard and, as pearl fishing appears to be a widespread and immediate threat to the remaining mussel populations, to enforce existing legislation designed to protect M. margaritifera. |
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Bibliography: | G. and M. Williams Fund, The Queen's University Belfast istex:49D807DA8EAE83DBE5920A2A29441CB77E584909 ark:/67375/WNG-P2LJ2PH1-6 ArticleID:AQC190 ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 |
ISSN: | 1052-7613 1099-0755 |
DOI: | 10.1002/(SICI)1099-0755(199609)6:3<169::AID-AQC190>3.0.CO;2-Z |