British Waterways welcomes study to halt the colonisation of UK canals by invasive Red Swamp Crayfish

2 September 2010

Following the first sighting of an invasive Red Swamp Crayfish on a UK canal, British Waterways has welcomed a study into the potential spread of the crustacean across the UK’s inland waterway network.

Increased, yet still rare, sightings of Red Swamp Crayfish, particularly on the Regent’s Canal in central London, have caused ecologists concern because of the possibility of the species spreading across the country through the canals, decimating further the native White Clawed Crayfish population.

Native crayfish populations have already been severely affected by the spread of American Signal crayfish – another American invasive species.

British Waterways’ ecologist, Leela O’Dea said: “It’s essential that we understand the extent to which invasive species are colonising the canals and rivers we manage across the UK. The inland waterways we care for provide a 2,200 mile-long linear wetland reserve which is an essential habitat for thousands of fish, animals and birds. This study will inform the way we support these valuable ecosystems and help us ensure they continue to provide a wildlife haven across the country in years to come.”

The Red Swamp Crayfish have become well established in mainland Europe in recent years, where they have had a significant and detrimental impact on smaller, indigenous crayfish, other invertebrates and local ecosystems. British Waterways is keen to understand the extent of their invasion of the Regent’s Canal, and the impact they may have had so far.

The study, being led by undergraduate student, Laura Cross and assisted by Dr Michael Chadwick, is part of the King’s College London Geography Department’s aquatic science research. The study will involve catching crayfish in lobster-pot style traps set on the bed of the Regent’s Canal in London. By analysing the number of different crayfish species she finds, Laura hopes to provide the first comprehensive picture of the Red Swamp Crayfish’s impact on water quality.

Laura said: “With only a couple of sightings of the Red Swamp Crayfish reported so far, and a lack of research into the effect of this invasive species in the UK, my dissertation is aimed at shedding some light on how the spread of invasive crayfish has altered the composition of the inland waterway network. I hope that my research project will improve our understanding of how different species of crayfish interact, and emphasise the importance of tackling invasive species in London’s waterways as well as throughout the natural environment.”

ENDS

For more information and photographs contact:

Henrietta Ross 07884 238 913 henrietta.ross@britishwaterways.co.uk

Or

Nayna Wood 020 7985 7263 / 07796191120 nayna.wood@britishwaterways.co.uk

Notes for editors

Crayfish species:
Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus. Clarkia) - native to north America

White Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) – native to the UK
American Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) - native to north America

Non-native crayfish species from north America have been found in the UK since the 1970s.

By 1991, 88.6% of known White Clawed Crayfish, (Austropotamobius pallipes - native to the UK) habitats were either destroyed or threatened.

The spread of non-native crayfish within the UK was both deliberate and accidental, and the spread of such species is fuelled by their mobility – they can travel up to three kilometres over land as well as in the water.

Trapping for crayfish on British Waterway’s canals and rivers is, in normal circumstances, strictly prohibited because of the danger of people furthering the spread of invasive species. British Waterways and the Environment Agency are keen to stress that members of the public should not seek to remove crayfish from the UK’s waterways without obtaining permission from the relevant agency.

British Waterways cares for and maintains the nation's 2,200 mile network of canals and inland waterways, working in partnership with private companies, local authorities, voluntary groups and other government agencies to protect and enhance the waterways, and benefit the communities through which they run. www.britishwaterways.co.uk