Freshwater Crayfish of the Western Balkans: Is it Possible to Use them Sustainably or Do they Need Prompt Conservation Actions?

Abstract

The extinction of species and biodiversity decline are the most severe global consequences of environmental threats in the Anthropocene era. Freshwater ecosystems are the most endangered and invertebrates residing in them are the most vulnerable, particularly freshwater crayfish. The freshwater crayfish are significant components of biodiversity, are indicators of good water quality, are also known as keystone species in food webs, and have an important ecological role in the proper functioning of a freshwater ecosystem. The Western Balkans freshwater ecosystems are home to four indigenous species, Austropotamobius torrentium, A. pallipes, Astacus astacus, and Pontastacus leptodactylus. Three of them are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered (A. pallipes), Vulnerable (A. astacus), or Data Deficient (A. torrentium), while P. leptodactylus is categorized as “Least Concern,” and it is, along with A. astacus, a species grown in astaciculture. This chapter aims to present an overview of threats and problems that crayfish of the Western Balkans face, with special reference to the sustainability of already threatened populations.