Freshwater mussels are among the most endangered animals in the UK, and their welfare and conservation are closely linked to the health of entire river ecosystems.
Whether freshwater mussels have welfare-relevant experiences is scientifically uncertain, but their ecological importance makes them conservation priorities regardless. Populations suffocating under agricultural silt are unable to complete their life cycle. The slow death of long-lived individuals through habitat degradation represents the loss of animals that may have been alive for decades. Restoration of clean gravel beds and host fish populations directly improves prospects for survival.