The present status of freshwater crayfish in Ireland

Abstract

Austropotamobius pallipes is the sole crayfish species in Ireland, where it is wide-spread in both lakes and rivers. Growth rates in lake populations are the highest recorded for this species. There are no records of any introduction of alien crayfish, but A. pallipes is known to have been moved around by human intervention. There is, however, no tradition of its use as food, and biogeographic considerations may suggest that the crayfish is not indigenous. This paper examines the current status of A. pallipes in Ireland, in the light of recent events : the verification of plague outbreaks despite the absence of American crayfish species, and the recent imposition of p'otected status.