Freshwater rewilding

1.8 Case study: releasing crayfish in the Central Apennines

The Rewilding Apennines team have been releasing white-clawed crayfish in the Central Apennines rewilding landscape in Italy since 2023, following a positive feasibility study carried out in 2020 (Rewilding Europe, 2020). Two breeding centres are now operational, with one more in the pipeline.

The white-clawed crayfish, which is found in freshwater ecosystems from the Balkans to Spain, and as far north as the UK, is considered a keystone species. It is an important food source for animals such as otters, fish and birds, while it helps to maintain balance within invertebrate communities as it predates on smaller animals. It also helps to keep water bodies clean by feeding on decaying matter. Sadly, it is in decline across much of its range, facing an array of threats including poaching, disease, competition with invasive species, and climate change (Rewilding Europe, 2023a).

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