Alien crayfish in Free State

THE DEPARTMENT of Environmental Affairs said on Wednesday that it was working with the Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs as well as local and district municipalities in the gold fields area to eradicate and stop the spread of red swamp crayfish, an alien and highly invasive species. It said aquatic scientist Dr Leon Barkhuizen, acting on a tip-off from a member of the public in Welkom, had discovered a large population of the crayfish, whose scientific name is Procambarus clarkia, in a dam in the gold fields area. Freshwater crayfish do not naturally occur in Africa but in Europe, America and Australia.