2023-11-20 11:03:00
The Department of Sustainable Development of the Government of Castilla-La Mancha and the water of Fuente Liviana have released three thousand juvenile specimens of iberian crab in the vicinity of the Tejadillos River −which have been raised at the Rillo de Gallo Astacifactory (Guadalajara)− to repopulate the river basin of this native species that has practically been extinct for half a century.
The collaboration between the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Fuente Liviana will also allow the repopulation monitoringas well as the study of the evolution of their populations and of the Environmental risks that threaten the establishment of the Iberian crab in the waters of the Tejadillos River, using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques; a non-invasive method that will be carried out by the Higher Scientific Research Council (CSIC) and with great potential in the field of analysis of aquatic ecosystems, beyond the simple statistical counting of populations.
And historically, the Iberian crab (Austropotamobius pallipes) − also called white-legged crab or European crayfish − was found in waterways throughout the Peninsula, existing abundantly in the provinces of Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Guadalajara.
It was not until the seventies of the last century when two species of crabs from the American continent were introduced to the Peninsula – the red crab and the signal crab -, both due to their high colonizing capacity and because they carried a fungus that caused mortality. Massive losses of the Iberian crab led to the virtual disappearance of the species, which was reduced to isolated populations of few individuals in the headwaters of rivers.
José Ignacio Benito, provincial delegate of the Ministry of Sustainable Development in Cuenca, participated in the release and described this type of collaboration projects as “very important to contribute to the maintenance of our biodiversity and even more so when it comes to a species declared vulnerable, which had to be protected. Once we have the assessment of the results of this initiative, it will help us to establish future lines of work and above all to recover the native crab in other water courses, since it constitutes an asset that was highly appreciated by the citizens of our province and what we want to recover”.
For his part, the director of the Fuente Liviana plant, Guillermo Latorre, pointed out that “Projects such as the reintroduction of the Iberian crab are part of Fuente Liviana’s environmental commitment, which contribute to the preservation of nature and the biodiversity of river ecosystems. And water is a fundamental good given its importance in the life of the planet and the well-being of all the beings that inhabit it.”.
Finally, Javier Diéguez, researcher at the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC) of the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, stated that “The use of an environmental DNA technique is essential, because it not only reduces costs and intervention in the environment, but also because it allows us to identify the presence of crayfish in the aquatic ecosystem and its density. It is the most developed methodology to date, since it also allows us to know what its dynamics are and how it has established itself. And this is key in repopulation projects like this one. We are working with an emblematic species whose settlement allows the ecosystem to function correctly”.
Fuente Liviana’s environmental commitment
The reintroduction of the Iberian crab is part of Fuente Liviana’s commitment to the environment. In recent years, the brand has firmly committed to sustainability in its processes and facilities, through the rational use of energy and continuous improvement projects to minimize its environmental impact. Proof of this is that in the last decade it has reduced the cost of electrical energy by 22% – betting on the use of 100% renewable and efficient energy sources -, as well as 81% of CO2 emissions, using electricity with green origin guarantee certification.
Press contact: Carla Lladó 669 54 69 09
#Ministry #Sustainable #Development #Fuente #Liviana #release #thousand #specimens #Iberian #crab #reintroduce #Tejadillos #River #Environmental #News