• Contact us
  • Advertise with us
  • Cumbria Crack app
  • About us
Monday, July 21, 2025
cumbriacrack.com
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink
No Result
View All Result
cumbriacrack.com
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Endangered mussels begin to breed for first time in 13 years in West Cumbrian river

by Cumbria Crack
31/05/2023
in News
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Ian Creighton and Chris West, of West Cumbria Rivers Trust, undertaking the survey by electrofishing on the River Irt

Conservationists are celebrating after evidence that endangered mussels in a West Cumbrian river have begun to breed for the first time in 13 years.

There are around 300 freshwater mussels in the River Irt, which flows from Wastwater. They live for around 120 years and need their larvae to be inhaled by salmon or trout. The larvae lives on the gills of a fish for around a year before dropping off.

Conservationists have been monitoring the mussels in the river and the last time this process was recorded was 2010. Mussel numbers have declined sharply and only a handful of populations remain in England.

The mussels need a specific habitat to thrive – the larvae must land on areas that contain clean and stable sand or gravels in which they bury and grow.

Working with partners including the Environment Agency, Natural England, National Trust and local anglers, West Cumbria Rivers Trust has been working to bolster the population by undertaking habitat improvements.

The work, which has taken place over a number of years, was funded by the Environment Agency, Natural Course, Natural England, Lake District National Park, Cumbria Community Foundation and Biffa Award, among others.

An older sub-adult mussel which had grown significantly since an earlier release

The trust has also been working with the Freshwater Biological Association to release juvenile mussels bred in captivity in the hope that the population would increase.

The team were undertaking a routine monitoring visit when the evidence was found. They also found mussels persisting across the sites where the captive bred mussels were released, meaning these new introductions have survived two winters in the river.

The team also found a mussel introduced during an earlier release programme from 2017. Now classed as a sub-adult, it had grown significantly since its release.

Chris West, the trust’s River Irt project officer, said: “It’s thrilling to find evidence that the population is reproducing. All our previous monitoring has found no evidence of reproduction, so this is heartening to see. It’s also reassuring to see the mussels released into the Irt are thriving.

“These plus more that we plan to release over the coming years will significantly boost the population number.”

Previous Post

‘If we can’t compete with a better offer then we’ll say goodbye to that player’ – Carlisle United’s Paul Simpson

Next Post

Workington Comets’ Connor Bailey keeps shining on track

Have you read?

A generic picture of police tape running across a road and police cars are in the background
Latest

Nine-year-old girl taken to hospital after motorbike collision in north Cumbrian town

21/07/2025
Four cows successfully rescued from quicksand
News

Four cows successfully rescued from quicksand

21/07/2025
Driver leads police on 130mph chase on Cumbrian A road
News

Driver leads police on 130mph chase on Cumbrian A road

21/07/2025
Thomas the Tank Engine fans urged to go full steam ahead at Mitchells Vintage and Antique Toy Sale
Sponsored

Thomas the Tank Engine fans urged to go full steam ahead at Mitchells Vintage and Antique Toy Sale

21/07/2025
£19 million West Cumbrian Community Diagnostic Centre opens
News

£19 million West Cumbrian Community Diagnostic Centre opens

21/07/2025
Man jailed after knife attack left victim needing stitches
Latest

Man jailed after knife attack left victim needing stitches

21/07/2025

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

33 Middlegate
Penrith
Cumbria
CA11 7SY

Phone: 01768 862313
Email: admin@cumbriacrack.com

Registered in England as Barrnon Media Limited. No: 12475190
VAT registration number: 343486488

Explore

  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs

Useful links

  • Contact us
  • Send a sport report
  • Get our app
  • Advertise with us
  • About us

Follow us on

Newsletter

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive daily updates direct to your inbox!

*We hate spam as much as you do. Privacy Statement

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

© Barrnon Media Limited 2023

Terms & Conditions / Privacy Policy / Cookie Policy
This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sport
    • All sport
    • Carlisle United
  • Business
  • What’s on
  • Jobs
  • Food & drink

© 2025 JNews - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.