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Invasive Alien Species: Zebra Mussels

Zebra Mussels Invade Lough Bresk
Northern Ireland Environment Agency

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency confirmed that the Zebra Mussel, has been found for the first time at Lough Bresk, County Fermanagh. The first sighting in Northern Ireland was in 1994 at Lough Erne and they have since been reported in Lough Neagh. Zebra Mussel’s have significantly altered fish communities in Lough Erne and are a major risk to the future of some freshwater fisheries.

MORE ABOUT ZEBRA MUSSELS
The Most Unwanted
Zebra Mussels

The zebra mussel is a stripey, freshwater mussel native to Eastern Europe. They spread naturally in water currents within connected lakes and river systems. Outside connected waterways they are spread mainly by recreational activities such as boating and fishing.

They form large colonies that attach to almost any hard surface such as rocks, boat hulls and jetties. Northern Ireland is one of the most recent regions to have been invaded by Zebra Mussels. They originate from the Caspian and Black Sea and spread across canal networks in Europe in the late 18th century, reaching England by 1824 They didn’t arrive in Ireland until 1994, and spread rapidly throughout the Shannon-Erne waterway and connected navigable water bodies. In 2005, they were found in Lough Neagh.

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