Fears over giant prawn ‘invasion’

THE discovery in fishing nets of a species of giant prawn normally found in the Indian and Pacific oceans has lead to fears among marine biologists of an invasion.

The distinctively striped Japanese Tiger Prawn was found by the shrimp fisher Coral Strand, skippered by Tadhg Regan, off Galley Head in west Cork last week.

Its appearance means a new population has arrived to compete with native prawns, according to Department of the Marine officer and rare fish expert Kevin Flannery.