THE LOCKYER AND SOMERSET INDEPENDENT
PAGE 12
FEBRUARY 21, 2024
Pest clam a clogging threat to dams BY JACOB HAYDEN BIOSECURITY Queensland alerted the public to the discovery of a new invasive pest introduced to the Brisbane River in a February 15 statement. The freshwater gold clam or Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, was detected for the first time in Australia at several places along the Brisbane River including at Savages Crossing, Fernvale. Invasive Species Council advocacy director Jack Gough said the discovery was alarming news and would need a ‘rapid and overwhelming response’ from the authorities. “The freshwater gold clam is able to produce 400 offspring a day and up to 70,000 a year so it can spread rapidly and is hard to contain,” Mr Gough said. “Experience from overseas shows that they can dominate
waterways, clog up infrastructure, and outcompete native species.” According to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF), the invasive clam can cause significant damage to rivers and waterways by clogging up infrastructure including hydroelectric dams and water treatment plants. Griffith University Australian Rivers Institute research fellow Dr Michael Klunzinger said the species originated from parts of Asia and has spread globally. “Halting its spread through biosecurity controls, regular monitoring and public education may have some benefit, but now that the species has become established eradication is unlikely,” he said. “I am unaware of any successful eradication anywhere this species has become established worldwide.” Citizen scientist Elysa
An image of a freshwater gold clam, also known as an Asian clam and by its scientific name Corbicula fluminea, documented on iNaturalist. PHOTO: ELYSA HAZZARD
Hazzard said she accidentally discovered the clam at Colleges Crossing, Chuwar in September 2023 and reported the find to iNaturalist, an online platform. “I was out birdwatching, and I noticed the river at Colleges Crossing looked a little bit different than usual so I went down to check and
see if I could get some observations for iNaturalist, and that was one of them,” Miss Hazzard said. “I posted that, and some really cool guys who were more mollusc experts than I am identified it and let me know it was probably something I should report.” Miss Hazzard said the find
highlighted the importance of citizen science. “iNaturalist is a really great tool for identifying these things and having that collaboration where you find something significant and it gets out there,” she said. Since Miss Hazzard’s report, DAF detected the clam at several places along the
Brisbane River at Savages Crossing, Colleges Crossing and Riverside Park. Mr Gough said eradication of the species was extremely difficult in natural waterways. “Unlike in industrial settings like irrigation networks where poison can be effective for control, eradication of these clams is extremely difficult in natural waterways where physical removal is required,” he said. “Preventing spread into other waterways will also be a priority and will require the participation of all members of the community, particularly boat operators and those involved in recreational fishing who should thoroughly check and clean their vessels.” DAF advised any fishing, boating and recreational water-goers should be on alert and report anything unusual to Biosecurity Queensland at 13 25 23.
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