ROUNDTABLE SESSION 1: CRAYFISH PROTECTION PROGRAMMES IN EUROPE

One of the goals of the European network CRAYNET - entitled "European crayfish as keystone species-linking science, management and economics with sustainable environmental quality" - is to identify current crayfish protection programmes carried out in individual countries. During this roundtable held at the CRAYNET meeting in Innsbruck 2004, we tried to evaluate the projects that aimed directly at crayfish conservation or at habitat improvement in order to protect crayfish environments. Different approaches and new skills were discussed in order to increase understanding of the advances and positive results obtained on the management of native populations (species status, habitat, population, control of aliens, diseases etc.)