Find out more about the plight of native crayfish and the South West Crayfish Project
3MB PDF
White-clawed crayfish
Due to a devastating reduction in numbers, white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes, have been designated a UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority species. Some parts of the UK have lost their entire population of white-clawed crayfish, the south west have lost up to 70% over recent years. The South West Crayfish Project (SWCP) has been formed to conserve this valuable keystone species.
Main threats to white-clawed crayfish are competition from introduced crayfish such as the North American signal crayfish and the spread crayfish plague, a fungus-like disease which is lethal to white-clawed crayfish.
Our Work
Bristol Conservation and Science Foundationb (BCSF) is the lead partner in the South West Crayfish Project (SWCP), a large partnership of organisations working together to conserve white-clawed crayfish through a variety of methods.
Teams from the Avon Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency and BCSF are relocating (re-homing) ‘at risk’ populations of white-clawed crayfish to safe ‘ark’ sites in the largest strategic translocation of white-clawed crayfish in the UK to date.
Breeding Programme
Bristol Zoo Gardens is supporting a new breeding programme for the white-clawed crayfish. If successful, it is hoped that individuals can be released into the ark sites to subsidise wild populations.
Make a difference
Practical conservation is essential for the survival of this species; however, public support is also vital for success.
Crayfish plague is spread on damp equipment, dry out all your equipment and clean the mud off your boots!
Never trap crayfish. It is illegal to trap any species of crayfish without a special licence from the Environment Agency.
South West Crayfish Project; the story
