Ardnamurchan's Fresh Water Mussels

The shells of a freshwater mussel, Margaritifera margaritifera, lie on an Ardnamurchan beach, washed down from its home in the sand and shingle of a nearby river. This specimen is small, the adults growing to the size of the average smartphone - but to reach those dimensions, the mussel has to be long-lived, reaching ages of 120 years.

Scottish Natural Heritage states that Scottish freshwater mussels are 'critically endangered'. Their decline has come through water pollution and the activities of pearl hunters - because fresh water mussels make pearls in the same way as oysters, and these gems have been their downfall. Pearl hunters are very active in the increasingly few areas where the mussel can be found, so SNH appeals in its website to anyone who sees anyone acting suspiciously in or around our streams to contact the police - even disturbing the beds where mussels live is a crime. SNH's website, which describes the mussel's plight and gives advice on how to help preserve it, is here.

Because of the rarity of the species, and its vulnerability to thieves, The Diary was wary of writing about it. However, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee is quite open about its presence on Ardnamurchan - see map here - so it seemed best to raise consciousness locally that it is seriously endangered, that we host some of the UK's best sites, and to appeal to everyone to act if they see someone taking mussels from our streams.