Working with partners at The National Trust, The Woodland Trust, AECOM, Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and Environment Agency, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has coordinated the relocation of native white-clawed crayfish which are under threat from the non-native signal crayfish present downstream.

Hundreds of the native species have been moved from lakes at Kedleston Hall and Calke Abbey (National Trust sites) to ‘Ark’ sites at secret locations in Derbyshire, where it is anticipated the crayfish will thrive.

Building on last year’s success at Kedleston, a novel approach has been taken to collecting the white-clawed crayfish using a ‘drawdown’ technique. Brooks at Kedleston and Calke were drained and redirected downstream for a short period to entice the white-clawed crayfish out of their burrows. Further collections are planned at both sites so that more crayfish can be moved to ark sites.

The species has been in decline since non-native American signal crayfish escaped into UK waters in the 1970s. Signal crayfish are bigger and stronger than the white-clawed, can feed on them, out-compete them for homes and food, and carry a disease fatal to the UK species. 

Before being collected and transported, health checks were performed on the crayfish to ensure they were ready for the move. eDNA sampling was also supplied and processed by the Environment Agency to ensure there were no signs of crayfish plague or American signal crayfish. 

Kath Stapley, project lead and Living Rivers Officer at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, said:

“This project has been a huge team effort and we are delighted to be working with our partners to protect white-clawed crayfish as part of our mission for nature's recovery.

“Despite ongoing conservation efforts, sadly it is only matter of time before the signal crayfish downstream make their way into the lake systems at Kedleston and Calke Abbey and eventually wipe out this protected species in these lakes.  

We had successful translocations at Kedleston and Ashover last year and we are excited to be carrying out four further translocations this year. We want to remove as many of the white-clawed crayfish as possible and take them to sites where the threat is much lower.”

Stephen Wright, Lakes Project Officer and Ranger for National Trust, added:

“We are delighted to be able to continue with this important project to conserve the UK's only native freshwater crayfish in our lakes. This more efficient drawdown technique employed within our lakes, ensured over 200 white-clawed crayfish were collected at Kedleston and almost 600 at Calke last month.

We could not do this work without the help and direction of our partners as well as the support and donations by our National Trust members.”

Jon Lewney, Countryside Manager for National Trust Calke Abbey, added:

“Calke Abbey’s brooks contain a healthy population of white clawed crayfish. This gives us the opportunity to support the efforts to conserve this threatened species, by moving some of them to other sites. Establishing populations free from the invasive signal crayfish in as many places as possible is the best way to ensure our native crayfish survive.”

Louise Hill, Biodiversity Officer at the Environment Agency said:

“Our work with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and partners to rescue the native, white-clawed crayfish and release them in an ‘ark’ site, will help the population to live and breed, safe from the threat of the invasive American Signal crayfish, and the disease they carry.

“With so few populations remaining, we must do what we can to preserve the endangered native crayfish. They play a vital role in keeping our waterways healthy and are a source of food for other native species, so it’s important we take action to ensure their survival in the River Derwent catchment.”

Find out more about white-clawed crayfish and the conservation project to protect them here.