Battle to save Cumbrian crayfish (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Battle to save Cumbrian crayfish

12:10pm Wednesday 11th January 2012 in Eden news By Scott Kirk, Reporter

A MAJOR bid has been launched to protect two of the few remaining strongholds left for an endangered native species.

Conservationists at South Cumbria and Eden Rivers Trusts have teamed up to submit a three million Euro application to help save the white-clawed crayfish.

The creature is rapidly declining across Western Europe, where it is being wiped out by several non-native species – particularly the large and more aggressive North American signal crayfish. It carries crayfish plague which is caused by a fungus.

The white-clawed crayfish is also threatened by habitat damage, water pollution and low river levels.

The Rivers Kent and Eden are among the few remaining places left in Europe where it survives free of disease and signal crayfish.

“The Eden and Kent are of international importance for the native crayfish,” said Simon Johnson, director of the Eden Rivers Trust.

“Like the red squirrel they are under threat and there is an urgent need to take steps to ensure we keep them in the rudest of health.

“If our bid is successful, this partnership project will take a great step forward in facili-tating a brighter future for this enigmatic but incredibly important part of Cumbria’s rich wildlife heritage.”

The majority of any funding received would go towards improving the condition of the Kent and Eden through fencing, tree planting and improvements on farms which will benefit the waterways.

The application has been made to the European Life+ Nature programme, which funds environmental and nature conservation projects across the EU, and the result of the funding bid are expected later this year.

Last summer, 28 volunteers helped Eden Rivers Trust to survey more than 60 sites for crayfish, putting in a total of 55 volunteer days.