Freshwater Pearl Mussels are an iconic Scottish species that are critically endangered.  The Lochaber Fisheries Trust are working with Scottish Natural Heritage, Heritage Lottery and the Scottish Landfill Community Fund to raise the profile of the mussels amongst local communities and help to improve their reproductive success in rivers across Lochaber where their numbers have been in sharp decline.
To do this we will carry out artificial encystment of the mussel larvae onto the juvenile salmon and trout hosts they need to complete this phase of their life cycle.  In rivers where mussel and fish numbers have decreased, the chances of this happening naturally are low and would benefit from a bit of help.  With school children and volunteers from Lochaline, we plan to collect mussel larvae and fish from the River Aline and bring them together to give the mussels a much better chance of finding a host.  We are also hoping to work with the school and local film maker Sam Firth to produce a short film about the mussels that will let people know more about this secretive species that can live for over 100 years.
To be continued….