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The amount of UK native white-clawed crayfish (WCC) has plummeted. We are protecting habitats and improving conditions so that this species can thrive and bounce back in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and beyond.
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Beneficiaries
Situation
The WCC is the only species of crayfish native to the UK, suffering 90% decline since the 1970s in Hampshire, the result of the introduction of the aggressive invasive non-native signal crayfish, that carries crayfish plague, which causes 100% mortality in WCC. HIWWT has led the conservation of WCC for 15+ years, with the aim of securing the species' long-term survival mainly though protecting and expanding natural populations or creating isolated “ark sites”.
Solution
The Trust will deliver targeted conservation measures to tackle the threats to our WCC in their existing range, and use current and most effective approaches to protect the species from the risk of those threats, through the creation of new ark sites for WCC.
