{"id":16380,"date":"2022-05-18T15:12:43","date_gmt":"2022-05-18T13:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=115504"},"modified":"2022-05-18T15:29:15","modified_gmt":"2022-05-18T13:29:15","slug":"endangered-crayfish-released-in-uk-rivers-to-boost-dwindling-populations","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/endangered-crayfish-released-in-uk-rivers-to-boost-dwindling-populations\/","title":{"rendered":"Endangered crayfish released in UK rivers to boost dwindling populations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Freya Parr\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 18 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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A rare species of crayfish has been released into rivers to promote the growth of its population across the UK.<\/p>\n

The white-clawed crayfish is the only native freshwater crayfish in the UK but is now considered to be endangered, due to the risk posed by non-native crustaceans.<\/p>\n

Since the 1970s there has been more than a 70% decline in this species in southwest England. In response, conservationists at Bristol Zoological Society<\/a> have bred more than 4000 white-clawed crayfish at their hatchery at Bristol Zoo Gardens. When they reach adulthood, the crayfish are released into safe rivers and lakes in secret sites around the UK. This last release has seen the introduction of over 200 white-clawed crayfish<\/a> into rivers in Somerset and Hampshire.<\/p>\n

Just one non-native crayfish in a river system is enough to spread the crayfish plague and wipe out the native populations within a year