Margaritifera Catchments

These 26 mussel populations are within Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) designated for the protection of the species. Site-specific conservation objectives for the restoration of these populations and their habitats are being developed by the NPWS (see npws.ie/protectedsites/ and npws.ie/protectedsites/conservationmanagementplanning/). Under S.I. 296 of 2009, 27 draft Sub-basin Management Plans have been developed to provide the programmes of measures necessary to achieve these objectives (see wfdireland.ie/docs/5_FreshwaterPearlMusselPlans/).

Any plans or potentially damaging developments and activities in or overlapping with the catchments must be screened for Appropriate Assessment (Article 6 (3), Habitats Directive). The NPWS holds very detailed information on the distribution and abundance of freshwater pearl mussels in many of these catchments, and this is available on request to bona fide applicants (see: npws.ie/mapsanddata/requestdata/).