The white-clawed crayfish is the only species of freshwater crayfish native to the UK, where a quarter of the world's population is found. But the species is under attack.
The North American signal crayfish is invading the clean, calcareous streams, rivers and lakes bringing with it a deadly plague which has killed off large numbers of native crayfish. The white-clawed crayfish is now a globally threatened species.
Protecting crayfish in the Dales
The Yorkshire Dales is a stronghold for white-clawed crayfish and protecting populations here is vital for the continued survival of this species in the UK. For this reason the Ribble Crayfish Project was born. The project is safeguarding the remaining populations of native crayfish in the Dales and is developing conservation measures that can be applied to native crayfish conservation across the UK. The work has involved:
- Trials to eradicate a population of signal crayfish
- Captive breeding of native crayfish for re-introduction when conditions allow
- Determining the ecological requirements of native crayfish
- Establishing ark sites where populations can be temporarily ‘housed’
- Educating the public and raising awareness about the plight of native crayfish.
Working together to protect crayfish
The Ribble Crayfish Project is a partnership of organisations and individuals working together to protect this threatened species, including the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the Environment Agency, Natural England, and native crayfish specialists such as Paul Bradley and Stephanie Peay. Much of the vital work has been funded by the Tubney Charitable Trust and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Read about another of our habitat conservation projects - the Hay Time project.