The Lausanne Resolution turns 30

Today marks the 30^th anniversary of the Lausanne Resolution, when the world’s leading crayfish experts of the day said to governments, “Stop importing crayfish.”

All of the points listed as reasons to support the resolution are still true.

The resolution is currently up on the International Association for Astacology website as a scanned PDF). This was published in an issue of the journal Freshwater Crayfish (volume 7, page XI), although no PDF of that issue is online yet. I am reproducing it here so that there is a version on the web that is more readily available, discoverable by search engines, and shared, either on social media or by good ol’ cutting and pasting.

RESOLUTION

7^th International Symposium of Astacology - Lausanne, Switzerland,

August 5, 1987

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The Astacologists of the International Association of Astacology meeting in its seventh International symposium in Lausanne, Switzerland, August 3-5, 1987, have noted:

• the damaging effects to live crayfish markets following the drastic decline in Turkish crayfish production,
• the marketing of new living crayfish species from many different places,
• the total absence of guarantees that such crayfish do not carry communicable parasites and diseases.
• the appearance of epidemics in European crayfish of aphanomycosis (the crayfish plague parasite), especially where it has not previously existed,
• the accrued risks of transmission of parasites and diseases, especially aphanomycosis, from other crayfish populations to native crayfish,
• the grave menace to native crayfish populations from introduction of undesirable exotic crayfish, and
• the potential for exposing fish to diseases and parasites born by crayfish.

Therefore, in view of the need for conservation of indigenous species and populations, we recommend that Governments find the means to stop the importation of living crayfish into their countries for any purpose (food, fish bait, pets, etc.), except for governmentally approved research, restockings or introductions.

Further, those Governments should be responsible for assuring that such living crayfish are parasite and disease free. Finally, Governments should encourage the restoration of native crayfish stocks wherever possible.

We encourage the immediate international adoption of this resolution.

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Reference

International Association of Astacology. 1988. Lausanne Resolution. Freshwater Crayfish 7: XI. http://www.freshwatercrayfish.org/docs/Lausanne_Resolution_1987.pdf