Giant freshwater crayfish: enhancing habitat conservation

The Tasmanian giant freshwater crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi) is the largest freshwater invertebrate in the world. Endemic to northern Tasmania, it is only found in rivers that flow into Bass Strait and the Arthur catchment (except for the Tamar catchment) and is culturally significant to the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.

Once a common sight in northern Tasmania, the species is now listed as vulnerable under both the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and as endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

Riparian habitat quality and connectivity will be improved along 15 km of streams in the Pipers, Little Forester, and Great Forester catchments in northern Tasmania by working with private landholders to co-invest in on-ground habitat restoration works. These works included livestock exclusion fencing, controlling weeds, native riverbank revegetation, and providing alternative livestock water sources.

A second key element of the project will engage industry and agency land managers to encourage practice change in waterway management. Two demonstration sites for culvert design and fish passage activities will be piloted, coupled with a tailored training program to embed practices that reduce threats to GFC in their waterway management activities and processes.

These actions will reduce threats to giant freshwater crayfish by:

• maintaining and improving critical habitat for the species and reducing habitat disturbance
• filtering sediment and effluent runoff
• mitigating the impact of climate change such as potential changes to flow and flood events, water temperature extremes, and streamside vegetation health
• improving stakeholder and community knowledge of the species, its threats and habitat requirements.