Latin Name: Margaritifera margaritifera and Margaritifera durrovensis

The freshwater pearl mussel (FPM) is a native bivalve mollusc. It is quite large, larger than marine mussels, and the shells can grow to 14cm in length. It is slow-growing and long-lived, and can live for over 100 years.

Pearl mussels are found in clean, fast-flowing, soft-water rivers and streams that are low in nutrients, where they live half-buried in the gravels of the river beds. They tend not to occur in hard-water rivers. They require the highest levels of water quality in order to reproduce successfully and mature to adulthood.

The FPM is declining dramatically across Europe and, more recently in Ireland too. Because of this decline, it is protected under a number of national and international legislation and agreements. It is included on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red Data List. The FPM is listed under the IUCN category 'Endangered'. This category is assigned to species whose populations have undergone a major decline (>80%) in the past 10 years.

The presence of FPM in Irish rivers has been documented for centuries. In the 1920s, populations of FPM were catalogued in 22 out of the 32 counties. Recent studies have found that, despite declines over the past century, the FPM is still widespread with at least remnant populations well dispersed around the country, in soft-water rivers, away from the central limestone plain. The exception is the species Margaritifera durrovensis, which occurs only in the lime-rich waters of the River Nore.

Conservation of the FPM is dependent on how an entire river catchment is managed. That is to say that all of the users who are involved in releasing substances into rivers and streams have a role to play in conserving the FPM and ensuring that Irish rivers maintain high water quality. "All users" includes residential and agricultural users as well as forestry. Coillte, as one of the many landuse practitioners, can play its part by addressing the impacts of its activities on rivers and streams. This is the essence of the Company's Action Plan.

1. Collate available information on location of important FPM rivers. Maps of Coillte properties located adjacent to and upstream of known FPM populations have been compiled (see 4, below).

2. Within these Coillte properties, streamside buffer zones will be mapped and managed as biodiversity areas:

2a. Coillte District Management staff to liaise with Process staff (Harvesting, Establishment Teams etc) on the appropriate management and protection of buffer zones,

2b. Existing Guidelines for best forestry practice will be observed in the management of buffer zones:

2b(I). Coillte's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP),

2b(II). Forest Service Guidelines: Forestry and Water Quality Guidelines (2000); Forest Harvesting and the Environment Guidelines (2000);Forestry and Aerial Fertilisation Guidelines (2000); and Code of Best Forest Practice - Part 1 and Part 2 (2000)

2c. Coillte will continue to develop and improve the guidelines available to staff on appropriate management of buffer zones.

3. Protect confidentiality of FPM location information received during the development of this Action Plan, as requested by National Parks and Wildlife and national FPM experts

3a. Coillte FPM locations will not be installed on GIS or web-based information

3b. District Managers and Region Environment Officers have care of FPM maps

3c. FPM maps are not for circulation beyond District Staff

4. Coillte will update this Action Plan as new information on the location, ecology and requirements of the FPM come to light, and will continue to liaise with NPW and national experts