Murray Crayfish trial success, and babies on the way!
This is big! Murray crayfish, extinct in South Australia until just last year, have officially been sampled in SA for the first time in over 40 years!
As you may have heard NGT released the first 200 Murray Crayfish back into SA waters in May 2023, then completed a second release of a further 80 individuals in winter of 2024. This iconic species was lost to South Australia 40 years ago and the range, distribution and abundance of this species has also been reduced in NSW and VIC due to fishing pressure, river regulation, blackwater events, pollution and pesticides.
Now we have recently undertaken sampling to check on the population, and the news is positive. Ida and Paul from NGT sampled 12 Murray Crayfish in SA, and three of these were full of eggs that were very close to hatching. This is part of a five-year trial Murray Crayfish reintroduction program to SA with an aim to establish a self-sustaining Murray Crayfish population.
Sylvia recently spoke on the topic on ABC Radio. You can listen to her interview on ABC Radio’s Big Country below:
and on ABC Radio’s Riverland Breakfast here:
Here’s a video of the recent release as seen on ABC news:
If anyone accidentally captures a Murray Crayfish, please take a photo, and put the animal straight back into the water. They are fully protected in SA. We would love to see any pictures or reported sightings, so please email us if you see any. Adult Murray Crayfish are easier to identify by their big white claws and spines; however, we are expecting babies which are similar to yabby juveniles. So, if you see a juvenile looking crayfish with a wider body (carapace) and shorter tail than a yabby, please take a picture and send it to us for identification.
This project is a joint partnership between NGT and Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board with support from NSW DPI Fisheries, RMMAC, North West Aquaculture, PIRSA, CSIRO and SARDI.