Community Corner
Help Save Malibu Creek With Crayfish Removal
Non-native crayfish are disrupting habitats for fish and amphibians in the Santa Monica Mountains.
The Mountains Restoration Trust, Sierra Pacific Fly Fishers and the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission are seeking volunteers to help remove crayfish from Malibu Creek. The voracious appetite of the non-native red swamp crayfish has almost completely eradicated the California Newt, leaving several ecologists concerned.
A grant received by The MRT in 2011 has helped remove about 30,000 crayfish from the Malibu Creek Watershed, according to a Malibu Surfside News article. But because the crayfish lay thousands of eggs and eat almost anything, eradicating them completely has proven to be a difficult task. Native fish and amphibians are losing habitats and food resources.
Mesh nets are used to catch the invasive crustaceans, placed in collection boxes and frozen, which is the most humane way to eradicate them. The crayfish are donated to the California Wildlife Center which feed animals such as raccoons and possums.
