date:Aug 19, 2014
Until recently the river Allens native White-clawed crayfish population, one of the few remaining in Dorset, has managed to remain free from disease but dead and distressed crayfish were recently spotted in the river in July.
Samples were sent to the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science for disease analysis and they have now confirmed that the crayfish are infected with crayfish plague.
Andy Martin for the Environment Agency said: The crayfish plague is carried by non-nativ