MaltaToday previous editions

MALTATODAY 12 September 2021

Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1409324

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 29 of 51

14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 SEPTEMBER 2021 EYEWITNESS Nature Trust - FEE Malta has released the first juvenile freshwater crabs into the wild as part of a project supported by the HSBC Malta Foundation and being carried out in collaboration with the Aquaculture Directorate in Marsaxlokk. The recently released crabs had been cultured in a laboratory to help identify the best ways to restore and preserve the habitat of the endemic Qabru species. The three-year-long project, which was launched in early 2020, focuses on educating the public about the threats looming over the freshwater crab, as well as on raising awareness of the impact of climate change on the environment in Malta and Gozo. The first phase of the project consisted of capturing two females carrying newly-hatched juveniles in the summer of 2020. The two females were immediately released after giving birth to the juvenile crabs who have been cultured in a lab at Forti San Lucjan. In early August 2021, a percentage of the juveniles raised in the lab were released into the wild, at the same place where the two females had been collected. The rest of the juveniles are being kept in the lab for further study on their culture and behaviour. The project is now entering its second phase, which is focusing on further research. Studies on the existing natural habitat of the 'Qabru' are being undertaken so scientists can better understand the threats that the species is facing and to establish what mitigation measures can be implemented to save both the animal and its habitat. Juvenile crabs released into the wild

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of MaltaToday previous editions - MALTATODAY 12 September 2021