Warning as deadly mussel is found at popular angling spot

A DEADLY species of mussel, which can destroy fish populations, has been found in a pool in Johnstown.

Environment Agency Wales and Johnstown Angling Club have now joined forces to limit the threat of the highly invasive zebra mussel.

The mussel has been found in Monks Pool, Johnstown, and is the first confirmed sighting of the species in North Wales.

The Agency and the angling club have been taking steps to make sure they do not spread any further, and have been advising fishermen visiting the pool to be extra vigilant.

They have put up signs warning anglers about the mussels and are urging anglers to use the disinfecting tubs that have been provided.

Zebra mussels can seriously damage the waters where they breed, and anglers are asked to help prevent them spreading.

Keep-nets and landing nets should be thoroughly dried, or disinfected after use to prevent the spread of zebra mussel larvae, and anglers should refrain from using the mussels as bait.

These distinctive striped mussels grow to 5cm in length and can cause huge problems as they foul underwater structures and block water intakes and displace native species. They also filter the water so effectively that they remove most of the algae and zooplankton that would otherwise form an important part of the diet of young fish.

The unusually clear water can make angling difficult and can increase the impact of natural predators.

The lack of food for young fish can increase mortality leading to reductions in fish populations.

Zebra mussels have already caused huge amounts of damage in North America and Ireland, with densities of up to 700,000 mussels per square metre on suitable surfaces.

Agency officers have carried out a downstream survey of the outflow stream but no mussels were found.

Agency spokesman Richard Pierce said: ?The zebra mussels? larvae can be carried on boats or fishing equipment and can seriously damage the quality of the fishing. If anglers or any members of the public suspect that they have discovered zebra mussels please contact the Agency on 0800 807060.?

"Zebra mussels have already caused huge amounts of damage in North America and Ireland..."

Interesting... does this go to help explain why so many of the formerly legendary Irish coarse fisheries are now deserted zones ?

And why has no publicity been given to this, at the very least to warn anglers visiting Ireland to disinfect kit and nets etc on returning to the mainland ?

Plus which is there a piccy anywhere of what these beasties look like ? We can hardly report them if we can't identify them.....


[Edit]Includes Piccy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/6081174.stm[/Edit]

See here
http://biology.usgs.gov/invasive/images/zebra_mussel_closeup_Benson.jpg

There so much concern about this species I couldn't find an image of them on English Nature's (Now Natural England) site!

EN is the protection body over the nations native flora and fauna.

Beggars belief don?t it?

"Beggars belief don?t it?"

Why Phil? With the state of our country in general, zebra mussels will be at the bottom of a very long list! Even though they could virtually destroy our waterways.......

Ian I get what you are saying about the state of the country, but NE as it now is, is a Govt quango charged solely with protecting native species of flora and fauna, habitats, SSSI?s NNR, RAMSAR?s and Landscape now (new power through the change) to monitor and find ways of eradicating invasive non-native species through R&D, partnership working with the cutting edge scientific establishments and host more functions besides. Its remit is not to sort out other problems?. antisocial behaviour, economy, blah, blah, blah, other quangos are for that.
As that body, for it not to carry any pictures in its picture library of this species, is in my view, a travesty of it function.
It relies quite heavily on members of the public, voluntary organisations, etc to tell it where things are good and bad. If those people, etc don?t know what they?re looking for, as has been said, how can they inform them?

Here?s two e.g., for you, I discovered some years ago a colony of water voles about 30 strong, local people knew they were there, but no one thought to inform them?..assumed they knew because of the site's SSSI status. It was scheduled actually for some rare water plants not the voles. I phoned them up and they hadn?t a clue they were there, or any records of them ever being reported on the site.

It?s the same with Great crested newts, I?ve found several ponds where again there are thriving colonies, but they?ve had no knowledge of them being anywhere in that area.

Give people the tools and they are more likely to get a truer picture of the state of our natural environment.
The last point I?d make is this, it needn?t cost them either, many voluntary conservation bodies have very good amateur field naturalist, professional ecologists, biologists, etc amongst their midst, who would willingly give up their time, money. effort and there expertise for free, to make sure such sites get the proper protection they duly need.
The Tree Council for many years have ran a very successful voluntary tree warden scheme nationally. So why not take this new start with NE and implement something similar?

Keep watch - Zebra mussels spotted

Author:


Curig Jones

Date published:


31-Oct-2006

Keywords:


mussels, invasive, species

Environment Agency Wales and Johnstown Angling Club, near Wrexham, have joined forces to limit the threat of a highly invasive species, the zebra mussel.

The mussel has been found at Monks Pool, Johnstown and is the first confirmed sighting of the species in North Wales. Both the Agency and the angling club have been taking steps to make sure that they do not spread any further, and have been advising fishermen visiting the pool to be extra vigilant.

They have put up signs warning anglers about the mussels and are urging anglers to use the disinfecting tubs that have been provided.

These mussels can seriously damage the waters where they breed, and anglers are asked to help prevent the spread of this species. Keep-nets and landing nets should be thoroughly dried, or disinfected, after use to prevent the spread of zebra mussel larvae, and anglers should refrain from using the mussels as bait.

These distinctive striped mussels grow to 5cm in length and can cause huge problems as they foul underwater structures and block water intakes and displace native species. They also filter the water so effectively that they remove most of the algae and zooplankton that would otherwise form an important part of the diet of young fish.

The unusually clear water can make angling difficult and can increase the impact of natural predators. The lack of food for young fish can increase mortality, leading to reductions in fish populations.

They have already caused huge amounts of damage in North America and Ireland, with densities of up to 700,000 mussels per square metre on suitable surfaces.

Agency officers have carried out a downstream survey of the outflow stream. Fortunately no mussels were found.

Richard Pierce, for the Agency said:

"The zebra mussels? larvae can be carried on boats or fishing equipment and can seriously damage the quality of the fishing. If anglers or any members of the public suspect that they have discovered zebra mussels please contact the Agency on 0800 80 70 60."