ENVIRONMENTAL partners in Northumberland have joined forces to help safeguard the future of the important native white-clawed crayfish to ensure 2022 isn’t their final year in the county’s rivers.

On Friday (December 31), a 12ft long native crayfish sculpture commissioned by Northumberland Rivers Trust was unveiled at Northumberland Zoo to celebrate the start of its captive breeding programme.

The programme aims to breed and release the native species into Northumberland’s rivers and lakes.

It builds on work to boost native numbers and prevent the spread of the invasive American signal crayfish, which puts the future of the white-clawed species in danger because of the ‘crayfish plague’ that it carries.

The partnership - including the Northumberland Zoo, Environment Agency, Northumberland Rivers Trust and National Trust - is now calling on local people to ‘Check, Clean, Dry’ their clothing and equipment after visiting local rivers to avoid transferring invasive species and the crayfish plague between rivers.

Pete Kerr, of Northumberland Rivers Trust, said: “While Northumberland’s rivers have some of the best remaining populations of native crayfish in the UK, the invasive signal crayfish are closing in from all sides.

“Many people have never even seen these ‘little lobsters’ but they are amazing creatures that can live up to 10 years and even grow new claws after a fight with an otter! We need to do all we can to protect them otherwise 2022 might be their last year in Northumberland.”

The Environment Agency’s Ian Marshall, Biodiversity Technical Specialist in the North East and white-clawed crayfish National Species Lead, added: “Everyone has a key role to play in the revival and survival of the white-clawed crayfish. This native species plays a vital ecological role; they help to keep our waterways clean and are a source of food for other native species.

“It’s well known they are in great danger, and while we have made positive progress to protect them we need to continue to take significant action to safeguard their future.”

At Northumberland Zoo, the captive breeding programme is funded by the zoo, Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water’s Branch Out scheme, while the sculpture, created by Ptolemy Elrington of Hubcap Creatures and made from entirely recycled material, has been funded by the Northumberland Rivers Trust. In total around £20,000 has been invested in the project.

Northumberland Zoo is open on January 2 and 3 for anyone wishing to see the sculpture, and then reopens to the public on Monday, January 17 2022.