Signal Crayfish

There are Signal Crayfish in the beck. These are an aggressive and invasive species carrying crayfish plague to which European crayfish are highly susceptible. They like to burrow into the river banks, causing them to collapse. They are also very hungry and can do significant damage to the beck’s invertebrate population, especially Caddis. Unfortunately, they are here to stay but there are things that can be done to limit their spread and that of the crayfish plague they carry, to other rivers and streams.

Spores of the crayfish plague can remain active for around 6-22 days without a host and are lethal to native crayfish. Wet equipment and mud will harbour spores, so ensure boots/waders and other equipment are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and where possible allowed to dry. Obviously, if you only fish the beck then there is no need.