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American Crayfish |
NORTH AMERICAN SIGNAL CRAYFISH
At the end of 1999, one of the Association’s Directors discovered a carcass of what he believed to be a North American Signal Crayfish. He forwarded the remains to SEPA who, together with SNH carried out a preliminary study of the area where it was found. These bodies made a second visit and it was confirmed that this alien species was in fact established in the headwaters of the river system.
A subsequent Press article led to the Association being “put under the spotlight”. Anglers and Angling Bodies were concerned to know what the Association was doing about this pest. At no time did SEPA or SNH officially inform the Association about their discovery nor were they given a report of their visits to the river.
The North American Signal Crayfish has a rapacious appetite and is known to have destroyed rivers where they had been introduced. Naturally, the Association was keen to get these creatures removed from the river as quickly as possible.
As a result of telephone conversations it became apparent that no one, especially the statutory bodies was going to do anything. Once again, the Association has had to take the lead on matters pertaining to the Clyde.
The project commenced in May 2000 and was planned to run for at least 6 months of that year. To date the tributary burns and ponds in the upper reaches have been surveyed to establish the area over which these Crayfish have spread. The Association has purchased many traps and these are proving to be very effective in catching the Crayfish. The efforts of the Project Manager are being supplemented by Directors and Members of the Association who are forming work parties under his guidance.
The efforts of the Association to get matters underway as quickly as possible was and continues to be supported by David Dunkley, the then Inspector of Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries in Scotland. He has been a very helpful and worthwhile contact for the Association. The project could also not be in place if it were not also for the good relationships we have with riparian owners in the area. They have proved to be very supportive by allowing access and parking of vehicles. One farm in particular has provided storage space for the traps and equipment and the use of a shed for analysis research.
The funding of this Crayfish Project has had to come from the Association’s own meagre reserves, which it keeps for emergency stocking of fish in the event of pollution. After a prolonged series of discussions with SNH agreement was reached whereby SNH grants were made available to the Association to continue with the trapping programme.
The Association holds the appropriate licences from the Scottish Government to carry out this project. In addition, because of the very serious nature of this threat to the fishery, the association decided, with the agreement of riparian owners, the Scottish Government and SNH to close a large part of the river to anglers.
Unfortunately, due to the fiscal constraints placed upon SNH, we have now been advised that funding to support our trapping efforts is no longer available. Frankly, this means that the Association will only be able to continue to trap for the rest of this year (2009). This inevitably will result in the colony of North American Signal Crayfish re-establishing themselves in greater numbers and will undoubtedly lead to their spread throughout the upper Clyde and tributaries. |
