Priorities Action Statement - Actions for Swollen Crayfish (Euastacus guruhgi)

Recovery Actions

Provide information on the distribution of the Swollen Crayfish to local councils and determining authorities to ensure appropriate consideration during development assessment processes (Medium priority).

Compile existing information on Swollen Crayfish and identify knowledge gaps for the purpose of targeting future research activities (High priority).
Collate data on the historical distribution of Swollen Crayfish including anecdotal and Indigenous knowledge (Low priority).
Review existing information on climate change projections, hydrological alterations, fire regimes, invasive species and disease threats (including crayfish plague) and extreme weather impacts to inform future management and research priorities (High priority).

Implement education initiatives to improve awareness of the status of the Swollen Crayfish and ways to minimise impacts on the species by preparing and distributing appropriate advisory material (Medium priority).
Provide targeted education and guidance to researchers and fishers regarding biosecurity and hygiene protocols to minimise the risk of disease transmission and accidental translocation in waterways inhabited by short-range endemic crayfish such as Swollen Crayfish (Medium priority).
Encourage community reporting of Swollen Crayfish via the department Threatened and Pest Species Sightings Program online form (Low priority).
Foster long-term, two-way knowledge transfer and capacity building to enhance the role of Indigenous ecological knowledge in the recovery of Swollen Crayfish (Low priority).
Provide targeted guidance to aquarium hobbyists and collectors on biosecurity, legal obligations, and risks of illegal collection and disease transmission, with particular reference to highly restricted species such as Swollen Crayfish (Medium priority).

Maximise compliance activities at identified important sites (High priority).

Negotiate with relevant authorities to encourage the identification, assessment, and modification of natural resource management plans and policies to minimise impacts on Swollen Crayfish habitats and water quality (High priority).
Incorporate considerations of climate change impacts, altered hydrological regimes and extreme weather events into catchment and natural resource / national park management planning affecting Swollen Crayfish habitats (Medium priority).
Implement relevant State policies, legislation and programs to reduce water pollution impacts on Swollen Crayfish habitats in NSW (Medium priority).

Undertake work to identify, restore and protect known and potential Swollen Crayfish habitats and address key threats such as habitat degradation, water quality decline and invasive species (High priority).
Actively seek funding through grant schemes or other sources to implement projects that protect and restore critical habitats for Swollen Crayfish, including maintaining soil moisture, stabilising gullies and streams, and improving water quality where relevant (High priority).
Undertake priority rehabilitation, restoration and enhancement work at key sites known to support Swollen Crayfish (High priority).
Monitor and manage impacts of bushfire within and upstream of Swollen Crayfish habitats, including erosion, sedimentation, and water quality changes following fire events (Medium priority).
Where feasible, identify and protect habitat features that may provide climate refugia (e.g. cooler microhabitats, groundwater-fed reaches, shaded streams) for Swollen Crayfish populations (Medium priority).

Investigate and implement integrated management of introduced species in and adjacent to identified Swollen Crayfish habitats and prevent their spread into these areas (High priority).
Develop and implement strategies to control introduced species (such as feral pigs), including eradication programs where feasible (High priority).
Undertake targeted weed control and remove invasive plant species that may threaten Swollen Crayfish habitat, ensuring that any disturbance / overspray does not adversely impact the species (High priority).
Ensure researchers and other authorised personnel adhere to required hygiene protocols to minimise disease risk (Medium priority).
Establish surveillance and rapid response procedures for the detection and management of non-native crayfish species and pathogens that may pose ecological or disease risks to Swollen Crayfish (Medium priority).

Conduct research on the biology and ecology of Swollen Crayfish, including its ecological role, environmental tolerances, population dynamics, age and growth, life cycle and diet (High priority).
Undertake research to identify, prioritise and improve understanding of the threatening processes and causes of decline of Swollen Crayfish (High priority).
Actively seek grant funding or partnerships to support research and monitoring programs for Swollen Crayfish (High priority).
Monitor populations of Swollen Crayfish over time to assess trends in abundance and distribution, and to detect emerging threats (Medium priority).
Encourage community involvement in aspects of Swollen Crayfish research and monitoring programs (Low priority).
Investigate the feasibility of a translocation and/or captive breeding program (Low priority).
Obtain and analyse genetic material from remnant populations of Swollen Crayfish to identify genetic structure and inform conservation actions such as breeding or translocation (Low priority).
Investigate potential disease threats, including susceptibility to crayfish plague and other pathogens, and develop appropriate monitoring protocols (Medium priority).

Implement the NSW Freshwater Fish Stocking Fishery Management Strategy to prevent significant impacts from stocking on Swollen Crayfish (High priority).
Identify potential candidate sites for possible future translocation of Swollen Crayfish (Low priority).
Undertake emergency rescues of Swollen Crayfish in response to droughts, oil spills/ pollution, detection of biosecurity threats (e.g. disease or pests), or to avoid imminent impacts in accordance with the emergency response policy (Low priority).
Review and assess the potential of artificial refuge areas for the protection of Swollen Crayfish (Low priority).
Develop and implement protocols for short-term ex-situ relocation or captive husbandry of individuals during extreme weather, fire events, or other environmental emergencies to support emergency conservation actions (Medium priority).

Conduct targeted surveys to determine the current distribution and abundance of Swollen Crayfish (High priority).
Collect data on the presence/absence of Swollen Crayfish during incidental surveys (Medium priority).
Map potential climate refugia and microhabitats to guide management, translocation, and conservation priorities (Medium priority).