Call for 'increased vigilance' as invasive mussel discovered

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.

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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 presence of the species.

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

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) said the quagga mussel is a small bivalve mollusc similar to the invasive nonnative zebra mussel.

The species has spread rapidly from its native region in Ukraine during the last few decades through Western Europe and to North America and Mexico.