South West Crayfish Partnership

Buglife is the lead organisation working in partnership with the Environment Agency, Avon Wildlife Trust, Bristol Science and Conservation Foundation, Green Ecology and Paignton Zoo Environmental Park in the second phase of the South West Crayfish Partnership (SWCP) - Crayfish in Crisis project.

White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) © Nicky Ryan

Berried female White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) © Nicky Ryan

The SWCP was established in response to the severe decline of native White-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) in South West England. The project involves re-homing at-risk populations of White-clawed crayfish to new safe havens known as Ark sites, monitoring existing populations and captive breeding populations at Bristol Zoological Gardens. More information on crayfish can be found on the UK Crayfish Website.

To date crayfish have been translocated to 12 new safe Ark sites in the South West. All sites are surveyed and assessed prior to moving the crayfish. Translocations involve catching crayfish over a period of three days and then moving them to the new sites where they are released and left to settle in. All sites will be monitored to see how the crayfish are doing and ensure the success of the translocation.

Measuring and recording crayfish during a translocation © Nicky Ryan	Measuring White-clawed crayfish © Nicky Ryan