Decline of native crayfish in England and Wales

Abstract

Austropotamobius pallipes, the only native crayfish species in the UK, has declined over the past 30 years mainly due to the introduction and subsequent spread of Pacifastacus leniusculus, a North American species, which carries crayfish plague. This paper examines the reasons for the rapid decline of native crayfish and summarises a recent scoping study to determine how the remaining A. pallipes populations can be safeguarded.