Investigation into crayfish plague on river bruskey

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and Inland Fisheries Ireland are investigating the cause of death of large numbers of dead freshwater crayfish, which have been found in the Bruskey/Erne River at Killydoon, near Ballinagh Co Cavan.

The kill affected White-clawed Crayfish Austropotamobius pallipes along a short stretch of the Bruskey River where over 600 dead crayfish were found. Fish and other freshwater animals are not affected.

Preliminary results, using DNA analysis, indicate the cause of the kill is Crayfish Plague, a water-borne disease. The situation is of concern to both Inland Fisheries Ireland and the NPWS. Investigations are being carried out to establish how the disease got to the Bruskey River and whether it has spread from the initial area of infection.

The NPWS and IFI are asking anglers and members of the public to take precautionary measures to help stop the spread of the disease. People are asked to alert the authorities to any reports of mass mortalities of crayfish, sightings of unusual crayfish (e.g. red claws, large size) and in particular to dry or disinfect boots or angling equipment before moving from one water to another.