Crayfish die of US invaders’ plague

THOUSANDS of endangered British native crayfish have been killed by a plague brought into the UK by bigger, invading American signal crayfish.

After the discovery of dead whiteclawed crayfish in Cinderford Brook and Soudley Ponds in Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean last month, the Environment Agency ordered autopsies.

British native crayfish, about eight centimetres long, die from the plague but the US invaders, twice the length, are immune.

There are fears the plague will spread to other waterways.

Chris Bainger, fisheries technical specialist, said: “The whole of the Forest of Dean is at risk because you might trudge through the brook and before you know it you’re in another watercourse quite quickly.”

The white-clawed crayfish is a UK protected species as it is in serious decline.