The freshwater pearl mussel is one of Europe's most endangered species. Conservation efforts to protect remaining populations face challenges from water quality, salmon decline, and climate change.
While bivalve molluscs have limited evidence for conscious suffering, freshwater pearl mussel conservation is important for ecosystem function and biodiversity. Mussels play key roles as filter feeders improving water quality. Their decline is an indicator of river ecosystem health. Conservation programmes face multiple challenges: polluted rivers, declining host fish, and climate change altering river flows and temperatures. Their unusual parasitic larval stage means mussel recovery depends on healthy salmon and trout populations. Protecting freshwater pearl mussels requires whole-catchment approaches to water quality and river management.