Devon’s white-clawed crayfish (WCC) – our only native freshwater crayfish are on the brink of extinction. Only two fragile wild populations survive in the Rivers Culm and Creedy Yeo. Both are in severe decline due to expansion of American signal crayfish, habitat loss and declining water quality.  The Wildwood Trust is leading efforts to rescue and conserve these endangered creatures, ensuring their survival for future generations.  The Saving Devon’s Native Crayfish Project is laying the foundations for long-term species recovery, ensuring the WCC continues to thrive in Devon’s rivers.

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and South West Water, the Wildwood Trust Devon crayfish team has ramped up efforts to secure safe refuges for Devon’s last remaining wild populations. 2025 has seen the project undertake the following action for the Culm’s white-clawed crayfish:

  • Expansion of the Wildwood Devon crayfish hatchery and breeding programme:
    • 6 ‘rescue’ surveys were completed on the Culm, collecting a total of 58 WCC for captive breeding.
    • 476 juvenile Culm WCC successfully hatched from 18 Culm females (rescued from the Culm in 2024).
    • 37 Culm crayfish were released into the Wildwood Devon ark site pond.
  • The team has also begun assessing Devon coastal streams as potential future release sites for captive bred WCC. This has included crayfish surveys and water quality testing, and the project is on track to release captive bred crayfish in 2026.
  • The project has also worked to raise awareness of the plight of the Culm’s crayfish through attending community events, hosting school visits and running hatchery tours.

For more information visit: https://www.wildwoodtrust.org/conservation-and-rewilding/conservation-projects/crayfish-hatchery-and-nursery/

Photo credits: Harding-Lee Media / Marcus Brown

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