Netherlands: Philippine carpet shell settles in Zeeland Delta

The Philippine carpet shell does not occur naturally in the Netherlands, but has been introduced for breeding purposes in various places in Europe since 1972, first in France and later in Ireland, Italy and Norway. Natural populations then developed in France. Around 2005-2008, the species was also found in the Netherlands, with a first viable population in the Oosterschelde. Initially, this was mainly found in the oyster pits of Yerseke and Gorishoek, but later it expanded to the eastern part of the Oosterschelde, the Veerse Meer and finally, in 2011-2012, to the Kaloot in the Westerschelde. Wageningen Marine Research annually maps the shellfish stocks in Dutch coastal waters, including those of the Philippine carpet shell, on behalf of the Ministry of LVVN. These studies show that the Philippine carpet shell prefers tidal flats and areas around the low-water line. They are also found in high densities on intertidal oyster beds and, to a lesser extent, in some deeper parts of ...