SHOW US YOUR MUSSELS

Call for greater vigilance as invasive shellfish species poses threat to native animals and plants - and can even block water pipes

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THE discovery of an invasive species of mussel for the first time in Northern Ireland will add further pressure to the “beleaguered” freshwater system, Environment Minister Andrew Muir has said.

The first confirmed case of the quagga mussel has been reported in Lower Lough Erne in Co Fermanagh.

Quagga mussels originate from Eastern Europe and can threaten native animals and plants.

They can also block water pipes, which can cause flooding and infect water supplies.

Officials are now identifying other waterways in the region to be checked for the species.

Scientists from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) collected samples that were confirmed following DNA analysis at Queen's University Belfast.