On page 22 of MW8 “The BAP Priority Species Review” I am correctly listed as the main author of the review or Omphiscola glabra, however I have been listed as being an employee of the EA. I'm not sure where this came from as I am an independent consultant living in Scotland - about as far removed from the EA as can be!! Perhaps a better description would be that I am a cofounder of the Mud Snail Study Group.
The Mud Snail Study Group is an informal group, formed in 2005, to promote the conservation of the mud snail, Omphiscola glabra (Gastropoda: Lymnaeidae) in Scotland. The Mud Snail Study Group was established to support the conservation work of Local Biodiversity Partnerships and other conservation organizations by:
1. Undertaking and promoting study and research on mud snails
2. Promoting the sound management of land and water to maintain and enhance the distribution of mud snails in Scotland
3. Promoting education, and publicising mud snails and their conservation.
The aim of the Mud Snail Study Group is to maintain sustainable populations of mud snails in Scotland. This will be achieved by:
1. Reviewing all records of the mud snail from Scotland
2. Preparing risk assessments for all extant populations
3. Investigating the cause of extinction at historical sites.
4. Establishing and maintaining a site register of all mud snail populations, including extinct, translocated and captive breeding populations.
5. Providing advice and guidance on the conservation of the mud snail in Scotland. We have recently received funding from the Scottish Executive’s Biodiversity Action Grants Scheme (BAGS) to allow us to identify and monitor sites for the Mud Snail and to continue with our captive breeding programme.
Further details of the Mud Snail Study Group, together with the Action Plan can be found on the group's website at www.ephemeroptera.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/mssg
Craig Macadam
Mud Snail Study Group
c/o Bradan Aquasurveys Ltd.
PO Box 21659
LARBERT
FK5 4WX
Tel: 07786 631369
Email: mssg@bradanaquasurveys. co.uk