New appeal on Crayfish Plague protection

White Clawed Crayfish. Pic: Biodiversity Ireland.

An appeal to all who use Ireland's rivers for leisure purposes to help prevent Crayfish Plague has been issued by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, writes Brian Byrne.

The Plague threatens Ireland's native White Clawed Crayfish and has been detected in several river systems in the country.

The Liffey is so far clear of the infection, which can wipe out the globally-endangered species in rivers where it is found.

Since 2015 when the Plague was detected in the River Bruskey in Co Cavan it has spread to the Suir in Waterford, the Deel in Limerick, and is widespread through the River Barrow as far upstream as Monasterevin, and in a tributary, the Slate, at Rathangan. It is also attacking Crayfish populations in rivers in counties Tipperary, Westmeath, Galway and Limerick.

Anyone who enters rivers which are potentially contaminated are asked to ensure they use the 'check-clean-dry' biosecurity practice on wet equipment before using it in another waterway. Ideally they should not enter such waters.

There's also a warning about the introduction of non-native Crayfish into Ireland and an Australian Crayfish, the Yabby, has recently been found in the wild here.

More information is available at Biodiversity Ireland.

Any sightings of dead or dying White Clawed Crayfish, or of a non-native species should be reported, with a photograph if possible, to this link at Biodiversity Ireland.



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