Written question asked by David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party) on Wednesday, 18 October 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 20 October 2006. It was answered by David Cairns (Labour) on Tuesday, 24 October 2006 on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office.

Zebra Mussels

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in tackling the spread of zebra mussels in Lough Neagh.

Answer: There are no practical measures that can be taken to remove zebra mussels from Lough Neagh as evidence shows that they are established and reproducing.The Department is actively working through an inter-departmental zebra mussel control group to establish the extent and distribution of zebra mussels in Lough Neagh and are developing contingency plans aimed at understanding the spread of mussels, tracking their future spread, identifying mitigation measures for users and keeping the public aware of issues.

Secondary information