10 December 2022

New podcast interview on aquarium crayfish

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you released your pet out into the wild? Unfortunately, certain animals are dangerous to introduce into new ecosystems. Out of the one hundred worst invasive species in Europe, seven are species of crayfish. Crayfish are commonly traded as aquarium pets, but sadly, they are often mishandled and released into non-native environments. Being a keystone species, their introduction drastically damages these ecosystems. Despite this, the crayfish pet trade is a poorly regulated process that encourages irresponsible pet trading. Zen Faulkes elucidates and offers solutions for the flawed crayfish trade. Using the advertising websites Kijiji, eBay, Craigslist, and Aquabid, Faulkes monitored crayfish sales and found that, indeed, non-indigenous species are being sold in Canada, as the top selling species, Marmorkrebs, is not native to North America. Additionally, legislation did not guarantee a decrease in sales and was not well enforced. Faulkes continues to monitor crayfish sales and their effects as new legislation develops in hopes of raising awareness and assessing the risks related to this pet trade. Faulkes recommends using a multi-pronged approach to address this issue, encouraging low-risk trade, law enforcement, and education. Bringing awareness to readers is the first step in this process, so be responsible pet owners, and don't release your aquarium pets into foreign waters.

Back in October, I recorded a podcast interview with three University of Ottawa students about my papers about crayfish in the aquarium trade. It was tons of fun to do, and I hope that comes across in the recording!

BEaTS Research Radio's Podcast: Come to their aid! - The crayfish pet trade - Special Episode

https://beatsresearchradio.buzzsprout.com/591520/11837184

Thanks to Julie Pan, Malithi Thanthridge, and Ishika Tripathi for their great questions, and editing our conversation down to a tight 15 minutes.

 

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