PMP are delighted by the huge amount of work undertaken by farmers to avail of supporting actions on their farms over the course of the project. Clear confirmation of their support for the aims of the Pearl Mussel Project.
Supporting actions are voluntary measures that a farmer could choose to undertake with the aim of improving habitat quality or whole-farm score.
The final closing date for PMP Supporting Action claims under the project was the 30th of June 2023.
A record total of 242 individual actions were claimed during the last claim period, bringing the total number of actions claimed over the lifetime of the Pearl Mussel Project to 760.
The actions undertaken by farmers, including the installation of fencing, gates and water troughs made up the majority of claimed actions, but other completed supporting action included livestock footbridges, invasive species removal, rewetting bogs and sheep dip alternatives.
The completion of these farmer actions contributes to the maintenance and improvement of habitats in our catchment areas, which in turn has a positive impact on water quality and environmental conditions for the Freshwater Pearl Mussel.
Huge thanks to all farmers who undertook action on their lands