Dreissenid Mussels: Quagga Mussel Dreissena bugensis Zebra Mussel
INVASIVE SPECIES INITIATIVES Aoife Thornton Ph.D. Zebra Mussel Education Officer Western Region...
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Transcript of INVASIVE SPECIES INITIATIVES Aoife Thornton Ph.D. Zebra Mussel Education Officer Western Region...
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INVASIVE SPECIES INITIATIVES
Aoife Thornton Ph.D.
Zebra Mussel Education Officer
www.alienspecies.ie
Western Region Zebra Mussel Control Initiative &
Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force
Environment Section, Galway County Council.
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2. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Task Force
WATER – OUR HERITAGE
Aim: To protect inland waterways from unwanted aquatic invasive species
1. Western Region Zebra Mussel Control Initiative
2 Groups
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Case Study 1
Campaign with a long name and a specific aim
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ZEBRA MUSSELS
Credit: Dan Minchin
AIM:To stop the spread of Zebra Mussels to lakes within the Western River Basin District (Great Western Lakes in particular)
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Loughs Corrib, Mask & Carra
Message also incorporates stopping the spread of aquatic
invasive plant species
Lough Conn
2006
Protecting the
Great Western Lakes
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Zebra Mussels - INVASIVE
What are they?• Non-native freshwater shellfish• Thumbnail-sized What are the concerns?• Cause changes to inland
waterway ecology • Cause algal blooms by
consuming harmless plankton and rejecting harmful types – produce microcystins (toxic compounds)
• Block water abstraction pipes & can taint public water supply
• Hosts to other invasive speciesHow can they be exterminated?• Cannot be eradicated from
natural ecosystemsAlgal Blooms
Native Swan Mussel starved to death
Credit: Dan Minchin
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Zebra Mussels in Ireland since mid-1990’s
Lough Corrib under threat
BACKGROUND
Galway County Heritage Forum
2004-2008
Action 3.8
‘to protect Lough Corrib…from Zebra
Mussels’
VEHICLE for Action
2004: Awareness – signage and
literature
2005
Education Officer
Expansion
New signs
Branding
Media
Schools
Seminar
Presentations
Talks
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Members
• Galway County Heritage Forum • The Heritage Council • Galway County and City Councils• Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Clare
and North Tipperary County Councils• NPWS, OPW, NWRFB, WRFB, SHRFB
and NRFB (information exchange)• Inland Waterways of Ireland • Waterways Ireland• Carra Mask Corrib Water Protection
Group Ltd.• Trout Angling Federation of Ireland (TAFI)• Scientists
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ZEBRA MUSSEL AWARENESSThe Basics
• Key message and target audience were identified
Positive Messages
You can help!
Yes invasives cause problems but yes a lot can be done to help or prevent the spread
2. Clean your boat
3. Remove plants
Target Audience
Anglers and boat owners
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Finance – the weakest link!
Image: Dan Minchin
Zebra Mussels coating a
chain
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Identification of a Funding Mechanism
Without money, there’s a ceiling in the way of progress
•Seed funding was provided by the Heritage Council
•Additional funding is provided by Local Authorities, Regional Fisheries Boards and the National Parks and Wildlife Service
Funding agencies are regularly updated on progress and news.
Money doesn’t grow on trees!
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Selling the Message
2004-2006
Original ‘look’
Message
It’s in your hands
X Problem: image was ‘caring’
New Look 2006-
New Look
Character – many uses
‘Nasty’ hitchhiker
Bilingual logo
BRAND IMAGE
To create an identity
To grab attention
To help sell the message about AIS
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Sign Design 2004-2006 Sign Design 2006-
•Erected around Great Western Lakes
•Created awareness at waterways
& generated ‘talk’ about Zebra Mussels
Gave a ‘face’ to Zebra Mussels
•Main message was ‘Zebra Mussels will damage this lake’
•Little focus on specific actions
•Message: ‘Leave your boat behind and rent one locally’ and ‘Leave your boat out for 1 month’ etc.
•123 warning signs
•Erected around western waterways and along western bank of River Shannon
•€30,000 provided by the Heritage Council
•Bilingual sign
•Emphasis on action –arrows point to specific areas requiring attention
•New message:
Remove plant life
•Stickers affixed to signs where Zebra Mussels exist
•www.alienspecies.ie
•Fisheries Board contact details
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Biodiversity Puppet Show • Puppets are used in an interactive way to explain difficult environmental concepts to school pupils
• Primary Schools
• 2nd-6th Class
• Worksheets
• Topics addressed:
1. Invasive Species
2. Habitats
3. Ecosystems
Partners
Western Region Zebra Mussel Control Initiative,
Planning Section, Galway County Council (Marie Mannion, Heritage Officer
People and Nature Biodiversity Project (Elaine O’Riordan)
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Creating Awareness Vs. Effecting ‘Behavioural
Change’
Awareness has been raised amongst anglers and boat-owners through many means (signage, literature, media, Fisheries Boards and clubs)
100% of anglers surveyed in the West were aware of Zebra Mussels (Sorcha O’Brien, 2005)
Effecting behavioural change is the real challenge
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Behavioural ChangeThe US Approach
• Use social marketing• Make use of emergence of Corporate Social
Responsibility• Stage agencies engage the private sector and “mix”
their services in a cross-sector manner• Stick approach exists but they tend to concentrate
on the carrot approach because most people want to do ‘the right thing’.
• www.protectyourwaters.net• Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers and Habitattitude
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Case Study 2
Tackling the African Weed
Weed Cutting boat and Lagarosiphon major on Lough Corrib
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African Curly Leaved Waterweed
Lagarosiphon major in Lough Corrib
•Discovered in 2005
•Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Task Force
•Partners include: Galway County Council, OPW, NPWS, CFB &WRFB
Rinneroon Bay, Lough Corrib, near Oughterard, Co. Galway
•More than 26 acres
PROBLEMS
Impedes the movement of boats
Out-competes native species
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Lagarosiphon major (Lough Corrib, January 2007)
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No Nasties Pond Project
Aimed at gardeners, garden centre owners, aquarists and landscape owners
Message:
Please do not purchase these plants or dump them into or in the vicinity of watercourses.
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Plant non-invasive
species in your garden water feature
instead!
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Look for Signs!
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Aquatic Invasive Species
Calendar 2007
Awareness is the Key!
Produced by the
Central Fisheries Board (partner organisation of the AIS Task Force)
Over 10,000 copies distributed in Ireland
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www.alienspecies.ie
•Map & List of Zebra Mussel infested sites in Ireland
•‘Zebra Mussels and Other Alien Invaders’ newsletter
•Links to other sites
•“Clean your boat” advice to anglers and boat owners
•Brochures and other downloads
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SummaryCase Study 1.
Loughs Corrib, Mask, Carra and Melvin are still Zebra Mussel free.
100% of anglers in the West are Zebra Mussel-aware (S. O’Brien, 2005)
Trust has been won from the majority of boat-owners and angling organisations
Initiative has helped to focus attention on AIS nationally
Initiative is identified internationally as a leading contact base in Ireland
PREPARING FOR FUTURE INVASIONS!!!!!!!!
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SummaryCase Study 2
• Research trials on Lagarosiphon major were conducted
• New leaflets on Lagarosiphon major and on aquatic invasive plant species plus alternatives
• 2007 Calendar • Media publicity generated (Six-One news and
national and local newspapers)• New link with Western Region Zebra Mussel
Control Initiative• Problem = No Funding to allow continuation
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Summary Contd.Key Elements of the Campaigns…
• Bottom-up approach – ‘grass root’ involvement
• All stakeholders are fully engaged
• The LA network is utilised• Limited resources but stretched
effectively• Voluntary members• Elements of campaign have
been evaluated by international experts
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THE WAY FORWARD…
Continuation of intensive awareness campaigns
Investigate other options i.e. stick approach????
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What’s on the Way?
It’s important to be prepared!
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Acknowledgements
Members of the Western Region Zebra Mussel Control Initiative
& The AIS Task Force
The staff of Galway County Council