MORE than a million crayfish has been cleared from a Scottish loch in a bid to protect other fish life.
The American Signal Crayfish have been causing a problem in Loch Ken and other waters for some time, taking over the marine life there and fishermen have been asked to be on the lookout for them.They have been described as an invasive species, particularly active in the Dumfries and Galloway area.
The Scottish Government has recognised this and funded a scheme to clear the loch and other waterways on the crayfish. The pilot scheme at Loch Ken was part of research into the impact the non-native species was having on marine life.They eat any young fish they can get their claws into and they breed rapidly. Fishermen have been given permission to kill any they come across.
A business case is now being prepared to seek further funding to undertake a three-year study in the loch, which will involve more trapping . But the Scottish Environment Agency says that it is not possible to remove all the crayfish simply by trapping. A new bid will now be made to reduce their numbers - and they are thought to be considerable - to a more reasonable level. The American signal crayfish was first discovered in English and Welsh waters, thought to have been brought in through fish farms back in the 1980s. In Scotland they were first seen in 1995 Since then they have been spreading into rivers and lochs as far north as Inverness
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