More than ten thousand freshwater pearl mussels in Gävleborg County are to be moved upstream in the watercourses. The move is temporary and the purpose is to protect the animals during the time the watercourses are being restored.
In total, it involves 10,000-15,000 mussels, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
"We drive around with water binoculars to see where they are. Then we pick up all we find in catch bags", says Jill Staveley Öhlund from WWF in a press release.
During the 1800s and 1900s, watercourses were cleared and canalized to enable timber floating, but for the freshwater pearl mussel, it meant a deterioration of the living environment. The watercourses are now being restored to recreate the landscape as much as possible. The restoration is taking place in Ångerån, Voxnan, Kolarsjöbäcken, Västerhocklan, and Ängraån.
The freshwater pearl mussel is classified as highly endangered and has been protected since 1994.
