The government has allocated €10,200 to tackle the growing problem of invasive freshwater turtles that have been abandoned in Irish waterways by pet owners.
Eight local authorities – Cork City, Cork County, Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire, Fingal, Kildare, South Dublin and Wicklow – will each receive €1,275 to develop “control protocols” for these non-native species. The funding is part of a larger €2.9 million biodiversity package announced today.
According to the Department of Local Government and Heritage, the councils will collaborate on creating “a workable Guidance and Protocol Document for anyone who deals with these species,” specifically targeting the pond slider turtle.
First reported in Ireland in 2003, the pond slider has increasingly been spotted across the country, including in Cork City’s The Lough, Dublin’s National Botanic Gardens and Phoenix Park, as well as locations in north Dublin, Kildare and Laois.
The turtles typically enter Irish ecosystems when pet owners release them into the wild. Many owners purchase the turtles as small hatchlings without realizing they can grow to 30cm and live up to 50 years. When the pets become unmanageable, they’re often abandoned in local waterways.
While the turtles cannot reproduce in Ireland’s climate, they pose several threats to native wildlife. The National Biodiversity Data Centre warns they compete with native species for food and resources, potentially harming frogs, newts, toads and otters. As omnivores, they can prey on young birds and fish, and they use bird nests as basking sites. They also risk transmitting diseases and parasites to both wildlife and humans.
All three subspecies of pond slider – yellow-bellied, red-eared, and Cumberland – are classified as invasive species across the European Union. The public is encouraged to report any sightings via the National Biodiversity Data Centre website.