White-clawed crayfish surveys
Once widespread throughout Europe, the white-clawed crayfish is in serious decline due to habitat modification, pollution and more recently, the introduction of North American signal crayfish. With northern and central England now recognised as the European stronghold, white–clawed crayfish are afforded protection through national legislation and planning policy. Surveys for white-clawed crayfish are likely to be required where development may affect rivers, streams, lakes and other clean mineral-rich water bodies that provide suitable habitat for this species.
Our licenced ecologists are experienced in undertaking white-clawed crayfish surveys. If white-clawed crayfish are present on your site, we can help you incorporate appropriate avoidance and mitigation measures into your development to satisfy the regulators and allow your development to progress.
The first stage in undertaking a white-clawed crayfish survey is normally a river corridor survey to evaluate the suitability of watercourses within and surrounding the development to support this species. If necessary, more detailed surveys can then be undertaken to determine the presence or likely absence of white-clawed crayfish. These should follow Natural England’s guidelines (Peay, 2003) and could include searching for crayfish under boulders, using baited traps and/or night viewing.
If white-clawed crayfish are found to be present within the site then appropriate measures may need to be put in place to enable the development to progress. See our white-clawed crayfish mitigation page for more information.
Babec Ecological Consultants are based in Sussex and Hertfordshire, and provide white-clawed crayfish surveys across West Sussex, East Sussex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridge, Essex, London and throughout England and Wales. We are happy to give free initial advice and provide an excellent service at competitive rates. Click here to get in touch.