Clam expert Professor Frances Lucy from Ireland recently visited New Zealand and pointed out that the country’s fight against the invasive gold clam has a lot in common with battles against invasive species elsewhere.
She said plenty is happening in New Zealand to tackle the problem, but that working together is the only way to succeed.
“Protecting the environment won’t work unless we’re all connected,” she says.
Prof. Lucy works at Atlantic Technological University Ireland (ATU) where she leads the EU GREEN European University Alliance for ATU. She also directs CERIS, a research center for environmental research and sustainability. With over 30 years of experience, she’s worked with people from academia, business, science, government, local communities, and citizen scientists. Her main focus is on invasive species in water, fisheries, and water quality, and she has experienced the Irish gold clam and zebra mussel invasions first hand. She’s president of Invasivesnet and is involved in environmental issues in both Europe and North America. Sustainability is at the heart of her work—she cares deeply about protecting nature, supporting communities, and ensuring economic fairness.
Prof. Lucy says that when communities are involved, environmental protection is much stronger. She believes that connecting groups and encouraging action from the ground up leads to better, faster and more robust progress.
“Strategies to protect the environment need to include everyone and cover all aspects of the problem. Ongoing effort and resilience are essential for success, alongside clear, consistent messages to help inform and support everyone involved.”
Prof. Lucy says that New Zealand’s current situation is typical of the early stages of an invasion. “Decisions need to be made quickly, using the best available research and data, and should always follow good scientific practices.”
Banner image: They’re not lying down on the job; they’re scanning the lakebed for an invader. Earth Sciences NZ ecologists and visiting clam expert from Ireland, Prof. Frances Lucy, at Bob’s Landing on Lake Karāpiro.