BBC Newsline

Mussel farming on Belfast Lough is now big business. It has been going for 15 years and employs dozens of people.

The Lough is used to develop seed mussels which are then taken on to Carlingford Lough to mature. When sold they can gain as much as 50% more in price than mussels sold elsewhere.

But the discovery of a slipper limpet or Crepidula has stopped the exports from Belfast. It is an invasive species and cannot be spread. It has hit the industry hard.

Mark McCaughan

Mark McCaughan of the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland has been following the trail of this new species in local waters.

The menace of the muntjac deer

Muntjac deer or Chinese deer are already widespread around Thetford in south east England.

They are very destructive animals in the wild, totally destroying natural vegetation, displacing local mammals and birds. They can also be very vicious and have been known to attack and kill dogs.

Researchers at Queens University in Belfast have discovered that they come, in fact, from Taiwan.

Although there may be a few of the deer held in captivity in Northern Ireland, some are thought to be roaming wild across the border giving rise to fears that a feral population could develop in the wilder parts of Northern Ireland.

Dr Jaimie Dick

Dr Jaimie Dick from Queens University has been investigating invasive species, especially the Muntjac deer.