Freshwater pearl joins giant panda and Javan rhino
FRESHWATER pearl mussels found in the River Spey have joined giant pandas and Javan rhinos in a new book listing 365 of the world’s "most endangered species".
"Species on the Edge of Survival" has been put together by the International Union for Conservation (IUCN). It keeps a red list of threatened wildlife using information gathered by scientists and conservationists.
The IUCN said the list was the most complete scientific knowledge on the conservation status of known species.
The new book, published by Collins, includes pearl mussels found in Scottish rivers because of the threat posed by poachers and habitat loss.
Last year, a survey suggested about 75% of the country’s internationally-important pearl mussel sites had been damaged by criminal offences.
These range from illegal pearl fishing to unauthorised river works which have resulted in the destruction of entire pearl mussel populations.
The mussels are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Wildlife crime officers and Scottish Natural Heritage launched ‘Operation Caesar’ last summer to safeguard the future of the species in Scotland.
The crackdown sought the public’s help in identifying and reporting any suspicious activity to the police.
The authorities did not pinpoint locations, to give them a better chance of catching the culprits.
The River Spey is designated a Special Area of Conservation partly because of its importance for freshwater mussels.
‘Operation Caesar’ is so-called because the freshwater pearl mussels have an ancient cultural history in Scotland.
It is said that the famous Roman Emperor invaded Britain to get his hands on the pearls sometimes yielded by the mussels, which also adorn the Scottish crown jewels.
Scotland has a total of 21 designated sites for pearl mussels, with Scottish rivers holding around half of the world’s population of the species.
