
Pearls in Peril
This nationwide project aimed to safeguard important populations of freshwater pearl mussel to ensure its survival in Great Britain.
This nationwide project aimed to safeguard important populations of freshwater pearl mussel to ensure its survival in Great Britain.
Freshwater pearl mussel is a critically endangered mollusc. The Pearls in Peril project, which ran from 2012 to March 2017, aimed to save and restore populations in 21 sites across Scotland, England and Wales.
The project put in place a wide range of conservation measures in key river systems.
These measures aimed to:
The project was jointly funded by 22 organisations across Scotland, England and Wales.
Best practice methods used to secure freshwater pearl mussel populations included:
Nineteen of the 21 rivers across Britain involved in the project are in Scotland. All 21 rivers are Special Areas of Conservation.