Council deny abandoned work wiped out mussel colony

Anton McNulty

Mayo County Council have described as ‘totally false’ claims by the Friends of the Irish Environment that work they carried out on a bridge near Delphi resulted in a rare colony of freshwater pearl mussels being destroyed.

A report compiled by the Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) claimed that the contents of 36 sandbags spilled into the Bundorragha River and smothered the young mussels in a ‘matter of hours’. The alleged incident occurred last November when Mayo County Council were carrying out repairs on a bridge but had to abandon the work after heavy rainfall.

An article which appeared in The Sunday Times claimed that the Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Services failed to act on advice provided by several scientists, who recommended that the proposed work be changed or postponed until the summer.

However, Joe Beirne, Director of Services with Mayo County Council denied that they had ignored scientific advice and told The Mayo News that it was ‘untrue’ advice was ignored or that pollution was caused to the river.
“The headlines which suggest that millions of species were wiped-out is totally false,” he explained. “We had approval from the NPWS to do the work but we got caught in a storm and we immediately dismantled what we did. There is no way that any permanent damage was caused.”

Mr Beirne said they carried out all the necessary environmental requirements and would consult with the NPWS and Irish Fisheries before recommencing work on the bridge in the summer.

An estimated two million freshwater pearl mussels out of the national population of 13 million were located within two kilometres of the Delphi Bridge. The Bundorragha is designated for protection under the EU Habitats Directive because the mussels, thought to be Ireland’s oldest surviving species, are endangered. Approximately 90 per cent have disappeared in the past century.

The report was compiled by Tony Lowes, a director of FIE.

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14640:council-deny-work-wiped-out-mussel-colony&catid=23:news&Itemid=46

Mussels colony wiped out after Delphi Bridge Repairs

Ireland's largest colony of rare freshwater pearl mussels, in the Bundorragh River in County Mayo, may have been destroyed because of repair works on a bridge near Delphi Bridge, a well known fishing retreat.

While improvement works were being carried out on the bridge during heavy rainfall last November, the river flooded and the contents of 36 sandbags spilled into the water. This smothered the young mussels 'in a matter of hours', according to a report compiled by Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE), a lobby group.

An estimated 2m freshwater pearl mussels out of the national population of 13m were located within 2 kilometres of the Delphi Bridge. The Bundorragh is designated for protection under the EU Habitats Directive because the mussels, thought to be Ireland's oldest surviving species, are endangered. Approximately 90% have disappeared in the past century.

The Report by Tony Lowes, a director of FIE, accuses the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and Mayo County Council of failing to act on advice provided by several scientists, who recommended that the proposed works be changed or postponed until the summer to minimise the risk to the mussels.

FIE has sent the Report to the European Commission, saying that this is an example of Ireland's failure to implement the European law and has led to an 'environmental disaster' at the site.

Correspondence between the NPWS and the council, obtained by FIE under the Freedom of Information Act, reveals that three scientists gave a negative assessment of the proposed repair works. Aine O'Connor, a freshwater ecologist at the NPWS and an expert on the species, said in October 2010 that plans to repair the bridge represented a 'significant and serious risk to the freshwater pearl mussel downstream'.

A revised proposal was drawn up in July 2011, but O'Connor concluded that the 'the risk to the mussels have significantly increased as a result'.

Evelyn Moorkens, an expert contacted by the Council, urged that the proposed repair be abandoned until risks to the mussel population were addressed. Paul Johnston, an engineer from Trinity College Dublin, said there 'real and significant risks from a storm event'.

Despite warnings, consent was given by the Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltachta, which overseas the NPWS, for work to proceed last October. Some 117 mm of rain fell on November 17, creating a wash out at the bridge.

John Condon, Mayo's county Secretary, said the Council 'categorically rejects the content, accusations, and conclusions contained in Mr. Lowes' Report'. He said the consequences of not maintaining the Bridge would have resulted in more serious damage to the river and its environs.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht said the NPWS 'continues to be concerned about the possible impact the event may have had on the freshwater pearl mussel community, and the ongoing risk of a Bridge collapse'. A scientific survey of the mussel population 'will take place as soon as water levels permit staff to enter the river,' she said.

Ciara Kenny,

Sunday Times 12.02.12

http://www.friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/paperstoday/index.php?action=view&id=14710&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Freshwater pearl mussels among IUCN's 'most endangered'

Scottish freshwater pearl mussels join giant pandas and Javan rhinos in a new book listing 365 of the world's "most endangered species".
Species on the Edge of Survival has been put together by the International Union for Conservation (IUCN).

It keeps a red list of threatened wildlife using information gathered by scientists and conservationists.

The IUCN said the list was the most complete scientific knowledge on the conservation status of known species.

The new book, published by Collins, includes the pearl mussels because of the threat posed by poachers and habitat loss.

In 2010, a survey suggested about 75% of the country's internationally-important pearl mussel sites had been damaged by criminals.

Criminal acts ranged from illegal pearl fishing to unauthorised river works which resulted in the destruction of entire pearl mussel populations.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said the destruction was "shocking".

The mussels are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Wildlife crime officers and SNH launched Operation Caesar to safeguard the future of the species in Scotland.

Scotland has a total of 21 designated sites for pearl mussels, with Scottish rivers holding about half of the world's population of the species.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14915677

Oldest living creature is back in safe waters after road fears

A €400,000 'pearl of wisdom' has saved one of Europe's last remaining colonies of a rare shellfish from being run over by a new motorway.


The 500 freshwater pearl mussels -- now found only in a few isolated sites in Europe -- live in a small stretch of the River Nore, along the route of the new M7/M8 Dublin to Cork/Limerick motorway.

The shellfish, which can live for 100 years and are protected under law, faced the threat of extinction in Ireland due to excavation work on a bridge across the river as part of the new M7/M8 project.


Upstream
However, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has funded a €400,000 project to save the mussels, which are found in a 6km stretch of the river upstream of Poormansbridge.

The shellfish were removed from the river and placed in a purpose-built captive breeding facility, where their condition is being monitored. It is planned to re-introduce the mussels back into the river over the next few months at the appropriate time of their life cycle.

Since the 1990s the population of pearl mussels has declined, with only 500 remaining in Ireland. It is the only species of mussel in Ireland listed for protection under the Habitats Regulations.

Pearl mussels are the oldest living creatures in Ireland and they have virtually disappeared from the rest of Europe over the past century due to climate change and pearl harvesting.

NRA spokesman Sean O'Neill said the cost of the project was estimated at about €400,000.

"These environmental measures are required when constructing any new motorway and there are significant costs associated with them," he said.

"But the benefits for a native species in Ireland will offer more than a pearl of wisdom for generations to come," Mr O'Neill told the Irish Independent.

The project was carried out by Arup Consulting on behalf of the NRA along with specialist consultant Dr Evelyn Moorkens.



Treacy Hogan
Irish Independent
Monday May 31 2010