"Now Or Never": Fight Against Invasive Clam Gets Critical Boost

NIWA has been awarded $10.2m to eradicate an invasive clam that was only recently discovered in New Zealand waters.

The freshwater gold clam, or Corbicula fluminea, is native to eastern and southeast Asia but was found in several locations in the Waikato River catchment in May 2023.

Without intervention, large-scale invasion of corbicula could result in significant and irreversible economic, social, cultural and ecosystem losses.

NIWA Principal Scientist - Freshwater Ecology Dr Deborah Hofstra is leading the MBIE funded research programme on corbicula.

"This species breeds rapidly and densely, with tens of thousands of individuals occupying a single square metre. This means they successfully compete against native species for food and space, whilst also clogging up critical infrastructure such as water treatment plants.

"However, because it’s only recently been discovered here, we lack a detailed understanding of how this species will respond in New Zealand conditions; how readily they will spread, how severe the impacts will be, and what the most effective ways are to intervene?" said Dr Hofstra.

Dr Hofstra and her colleagues will work over the next 5 years to improve our understanding of the clams and develop tools and approaches to manage the clams and mitigate their impacts.

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The overall aim is to come up with new and effective solutions to control the clams at different spatial scales.

Funding for the project has been awarded by MBIE as part of their Endeavour Fund, which supports research excellence and science with high impact potential.

Dr Hofstra said the best chance to stop further spread of corbicula is by acting early.

"We were delighted to get this funding because the effects of these clams could be devastating, so we must move quickly; it is now or never. Our research programme supports Aotearoa-New Zealand’s response to the invasion, incorporating maatauranga and western science knowledge systems to stop the spread of corbicula and safeguard our taonga," said Dr Hofstra.

Corbicula are found globally, having become an invasive species throughout Europe, South and North America. They can tolerate a range of habitats, and because they multiply extensively and their larvae move freely through water, they can easily be transported between connected waterways or by human activities, for example as unwanted ‘hitchhikers’ on boats or recreational gear that has been in the water.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) declared corbicula an Unwanted Organism in New Zealand under the Biosecurity Act 1993 in August 2023.

MPI have already implemented several actions to help prevent the spread, which can be seen on their website.

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