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NATIONAL PARK ACTION FUND Office use only Small Grants Application Form PF14-13 To be used by applicants seeking less than £20,000 It is recommended that this form should only be completed on the advice of staff within Exmoor National Park Authority’s Sustainability and Economy team. Please use the ‘Guidance Notes for applicants – completing and submitting a small grants application’ when completing this form. Should you require further advice please contact the Sustainable Economy Officer on 01398 322234. A – PROJECT SUMMARY Project title River Barle Invasive Crayfish Project Brief project aim - A pilot project to trial a novel approach to control and in the long term what do you hope eradicate signal crayfish from the River Barle in order to protect fisheries and your project will the ecological integrity of the river. achieve? Project location River Barle – North Batson to Sherdon Hutch Project duration From: 1st March 2015 To: 31st December 2017 B – YOUR DETAILS B1 – Contact details Name of Applicant Nicky Green CEnv MCIEEM Name of Nicky Green Associates Organisation Contact Address 1 Pool Mill Cottages, Tottiford, Bovey Tracey, Devon TQ13 9NS Phone no. 01647 277594 07816 512430 Email [email protected] Website B2 - Type of Voluntary organisation or community group applicant (please Registered charity (Please provide charity no.) mark all boxes that Private company apply) Public Sector Private individual x Other (please specify below) B3 - Please briefly Nicky Green (trading as Nicky Green Associates) is a consultant ecologist describe the aims who has worked with crayfish in Devon for the last 12 years and helped to of your organise and manage the Barle crayfish survey 2014 in a voluntary capacity. organisation (N/A for She is about to start a PhD with Bournemouth University studying potential signal crayfish control methods. individual applicants): The Barle Crayfish Working Group (BCWG) which consists of a partnership of Exmoor National Park Authority, Environment Agency (Devon), Centre for, Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Natural England, - 1 - Buglife, River Barle Fishing Club (RBFC) River Exe & Tributaries Association (RETA) and Nicky Green Associates. It has been formed as a management group to deliver this project and Nicky Green will take the role of project manager. - 2 - C – PROJECT DETAILS C1 - Please describe your project, why it is necessary and how you will achieve the aims & objectives. You should also detail how your project will meet the essential and desirable criteria of the fund as detailed in the guidance notes for applicants. You can attach further information such as plans or drawings to this form if needed. Surveys undertaken in summer 2014 have found a population of signal crayfish on the River Barle extending from Tarr Steps to Sherdon Hutch, within an area designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Of particular concern is the presence of this species between Withypool and Sherdon Hutch as it contains some of the most important salmon spawning grounds in the river. The signal crayfish is one of the most damaging invasive species both in the UK and worldwide. It has decimated native crayfish populations and causes severe adverse effects on river invertebrates, plants and fish such as bullhead, salmon and trout. Although native crayfish are absent from the River Barle the risks to the SSSI and salmon in particular (the Barle being one of the most important salmon fisheries in south-west England) are of major concern. Under the Water Framework Directive there is a requirement for all UK rivers to maintain Good Ecological Status, something which cannot be achieved if signal crayfish populations are left unchecked. Unfortunately the control and eradication of signal crayfish is not easy, and several methods have been tested. One new method showing great potential is the sterilisation of adult male crayfish. These males dominate breeding behaviour and cannibalise smaller animals and therefore suppress population growth. Sterilisation maintains this role whilst rendering them infertile, causing a rapid decline in juvenile recruitment. Initial works in France have shown the method to be highly successful. In the Duniere system juvenile catches reduced from 20% to 2% in years following sterilisation of males. This method has not yet been fully trialled in the field in the UK. CEFAS have carried out limited laboratory trials and will be trialling the method in still water fisheries in 2015; they are keen to test the method in river situations. The proposal is to trial this sterilisation method over a period of 3 years. In years 1 and 2 weekly trapping sessions and possibly night-time hand capture sessions will take place between May and October. During trapping/capture sessions all animals will be humanely despatched apart from large males which will be sterilised and returned to the river. The animals not returned to the river will be euthanised using a humane killer specifically designed for crustaceans called the ‘Crustastun’ which kills the animals within seconds using an electric current. If this pilot project is successful the project will be extended to cover the remainder of the river where signal crayfish are present in future years, with the aim of total eradication over the long term. The project will be carried out with the help of volunteers sought from the local community and local interest groups. Volunteers will be at the core of the project, the aim being to develop a sense of community ownership in line with ‘Big Society’ objectives so that control can be continued by the local community over the long term without need for ongoing financial inputs. Successful examples of such Citizen Science projects include the Riverfly Network. BCWP members include Riverfly Network volunteers who can lend their experience to the project. Nicky Green’s PhD will include studies around (but not funded by) this project to include sampling invertebrates, fish and crayfish on the River Barle. This data will be used to assess the current impacts of the crayfish presence on the river and the effectiveness of the control method. Success will be measured by: - Successful delivery of the project Evidence of a significant decline in juvenile crayfish numbers in the years following trapping (years 2 and 3) and a significant decline in a) adult unsterilized males caught and b) females carrying eggs caught Evidence of ecosystem recovery in the years following trapping, i.e increases in invertebrate density and/or diversity, increase in salmon/trout juveniles The development of an effective way of handing over the project to local stakeholders to allow it to continue over the long term and eventually eradicate signal crayfish from the river - 3 - Funding is sought from the Partnership Fund to recruit, train and support local volunteers who will carry out signal crayfish control over an initial two year period. The bulk of the funding will go towards management fees. A significant amount of in time contributions will be made by Nicky Green and BCWG members, principally Environment Agency and National Park staff. The works will require a licence from the Environment Agency to allow the trapping of signal crayfish and a derogation from Natural England to allow the return of sterilised males to the river. Initial discussions with these bodies indicate that there will not be any issues with granting these licenses. Essential Criteria - the project contributes to the achievement of the following objectives of the ENPA Partnership Plan:- Priority A3: Maintain in good condition, extend and connect Exmoor’s important wildlife habitats and the species they support Priority A4: Engage people in understanding, protecting and managing Exmoor’s cultural heritage and historic environment Priority A5: Maintain and improve the quality of Exmoor’s natural resources Priority C1: Support community led initiatives that help to meet local needs The project also demonstrates community support by its aim to involve and promote ownership of the project by local volunteers. It is supported by local organisations such as the National Park Authority, the Dulverton Anglers Association (DAA) and the River Exe & Tributaries Association (RETA). Desirable Criteria The project will deliver tangible economic benefits by maintaining the health of the salmonid fisheries which are important to the Exmoor economy. Subject to licensing, income may be achieved through the distribution of harvested crayfish through local food networks. There is no central government funding available for this project apart from a small contribution from Natural England which has been applied for (but not guaranteed). A significant amount of in-kind contributions will be provided by the Environment Agency. The project will achieve lasting benefits beyond the funding period as it is designed to be handed over to the local community to be continued for as long as necessary. Capital equipment provided to the project will be donated to the community to allow them to continue the works. The project is innovative in its use of a novel control method not yet tested in UK rivers. It will be scientifically rigorous and contribute to ongoing scientific research. There are multiple opportunities for others to learn from the project. Volunteers will learn crayfish survey and control skills and will be able to assist with the gathering and/or analysis of scientific data. Students will have the opportunity to take part in the