SPU CO21-2022 - Monitoring and survey of the Freshwater Pearl Mussel 2022-2024

Descriptions

The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides the legislative and policy framework for the conservation of nature and biodiversity in the Republic of Ireland. It also oversees its implementation, based on good science, with particular emphasis on the protection of habitats and species.The freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) is listed on Annex II and Annex V of the EU Habitats Directive. The species is considered to be critically endangered in Ireland (Byrne et al., 2009) and Europe (Cuttleod et al., 2011), and its conservation status was bad, when reported under Article 17 of the Habitats Directive in 2007, 2013 (Moorkens et al., 2007 a and b, NPWS 2013) and again in 2019 (NPWS 2019)The purpose of this request for tender is to procure survey and monitoring of the freshwater pearl mussel in 14 populations over three field seasons. The detailed specification of the project tasks and the expected deliverables are set out in Sections 2 and 3 of the RfT document attached. The project will run from June 2022 to November 2024.