Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 November 2025
571. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if the National Parks and Wildlife Service conducted risk assessments or implemented mitigations to prevent the spread of the invasive demon shrimp (dikerogammarus haemobaphes) from the Shannon system to Lough Corrib SAC in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [63188/25]
View answerDemon Shrimp (Dikerogammarus haemobaphes) was first detected on 30 September 2025 in the Shannon River below Lough Derg. Its pathway of arrival is unknown, but it is likely to have hitchhiked on watercraft or angling equipment.
A species alert, urging water users to employ strict biosecurity measures, through the Check Clean Dry protocol, was issued by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. This alert is available to view on www.invasives.ie. I have also attached a copy of the alert for convenience.
Furthermore, Waterways Ireland has commissioned assessment surveys of Lough Derg and Lough Ree to check for presence of demon shrimp. Also, eDNA analysis has being commissioned to test water samples taken from various sites in and outside of the Shannon catchment for the presence of demon shrimp via their DNA.
My Department's National Parks and Wildlife Service is engaging with the relevant agencies and stakeholders and, pending the results of ongoing surveys, testing and monitoring, will carefully consider with them the next steps to mitigate the impact of this species on our waterways.
The discovery of this species in Ireland highlights how critical it is that all water users practice Check Clean Dry to help prevent the spread of invasive species and help protect our waterways.
