Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Chinese pond mussel infestation of the Danube in Rousse

Photo: BGNES

The huge mussels, reaching 22 to 26 cms. in size which appeared along the bank of the Danube in Rousse about a fortnight ago, have been proved to be an invasive mussel species from China, Radio Varna reports.

Biodiversity and ecosystems experts from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences say they are Chinese pond mussels. They were first spotted in the Danube in 2005 but since then, the population of the species has exploded.

The Chinese pond mussels are not a direct threat to the other animal species but they do attack their direct Bulgarian rivals – two species of pond mussels – by reducing their feed resources. The invasion was first noticed in the first half of August when the temperature of the water rose. 



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Cloudy weather and significant rainfall in central regions of Bulgaria

On Saturday , cloudiness will be significant, in many places with rainfall, intense and significant in quantity in the central regions. The lowest temperatures will be between 2° and 7°C and the highest will be between 10° and 15°C...

published on 4/11/25 7:10 PM

General Labour Inspectorate identifies 51,000 violations in the first three months of 2025

In the first quarter of 2025, the control bodies of the General Labour Inspectorate Executive Agency shut down three times more sites, workplaces, machines and equipment that posed a direct threat to the life and health of workers, compared to the same..

published on 4/11/25 4:44 PM

Police detain tourist bus driver with over 2 permille of alcohol in his blood

The police in the town of Veliko Tarnovo (Central North Bulgaria) detained a tourist bus driver with more than 2 permille of alcohol in his blood while on duty. A tourist agency had hired a transport company from Pleven to transport its..

published on 4/11/25 4:14 PM