Professor David Rogers

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Professor David Rogers

Job title: Visiting Professor of Freshwater Biology; David Rogers Associates, Aquatic Biological Consultants

Email: d-rogers@lineone.net
Personal website: website.lineone.net/~d-rogers
Phone No: 01332 850156

I'm a media friendly expert I'm a media friendly expert

Latest news

May 2012

Our Control of crayfish plague in England and Wales project has been published on the DEFRA website: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=9980_FC1196SID5FINALREPORT.pdf.

February 2011

I've volunteered for Challenges Worldwide contracted to the Department for International Development's Business Innovation Facility to instigate and develop a cage fish rearing project for very poor people with few or no assets along the banks of the Andharmanik River in Bangladesh. The project aims to engage 200 landless families to farm Tilaipia along 80 miles of the river with the permission of the government. The micro-entrepreneurs will be provided with all necessary training and inputs such as cages, fish fingerlings and feed to form a cluster of cage farmers with the potential to develop their own businesses and a very substantial cage farming industry in one of the poorest areas of the country.

September 2010

I appeared on BBC East Midlands Today with Sally Pepper (Weather Forecaster) explaining the problems of signal crayfish in the Leicester area and demonstrating how easy it is to catch them with crayfish traps in the River Soar.

May 2010

Invited to contribute a chapter to Text book of conservation of freshwater decapods in Japan (Tokai University Press, Tokyo) on "The cause of decline of native crayfish in England and Europe - comparisons with Japan" in conjunction with a proposed presentation in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, 21-24 September 2010.

September 2009

In liaison with other members of the Faculty, I've been assessing development of commercial hydroelectric plant, Hydrodynamic (Archimedes) Screw turbines for installation in European rivers. More on this project.

August 2009

Myself and Elizabeth Watson (a former MSc student at the University) have been awarded a major research project with DEFRA under the Aquatic Animal Health Research Requirements 2009-2010.

The control of crayfish plague in England and Wales is a Scoping study for a strategy for the conservation of white-clawed crayfish. It involves GIS mapping to assist in planning, permitting and protection of native crayfish, identification and investigation of all possible pathways of transmission of crayfish plague and risk assessment to determine the likely importance of each. It will develop improved methods for control of signal crayfish and using the results of the above work will rank vulnerability of native crayfish populations.

The holistic and integrated approach used in this research seeks to provide evidence to halt the spread of crayfish plague (where this is cost effectively possible) and increase the protection of native crayfish populations, thereby making a significant contribution to the improvement of the chances of the survival of native crayfish in the UK.

May 2008

Filming for River Cottage Spring with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

April 2007

Filming for BBC Nature in Britain programme. This programme went out in September 2007 (Nature in Britain-Urban Britain) and early footage was shown at Derby's Springwatch Festival - Go Wild in Osmaston on 24 June 2007.

November 2006

Regional crayfish biodiversity action plan project with Kingfisher (BBC) focusing on wildlife in different regions of Britain.

Recent publications

  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2009) Goring Weir Hydropower scheme; Environmental Report.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2009) Oil Pollution Incident; Single Joint Expert
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2009) Increasing the chances of survival of white-clawed crayfish by expanding in-situ predator-free rearing facilities on the River Lathkill Derbyshire. Project for University of Derby supported by SITA trust, Enriching Nature Programme
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2009) Native crayfish reintroduction programme on the River Manifold Derbyshire. Project supported by the National Trust.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2009) Native crayfish rearing programme on Fonthill Brook. Project for 2005-8. Report for the Fonthill Estate.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2008) Crayfish and water quality survey of Markeaton Brook. Report for Derby City Council.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2008) Joint Parties appointed Expert. Effect of engineering works on angling value. Statement of case for the Defendants in Mediation as an alternative to hearing in Newcastle upon Tyne County Court.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2008) Survey of Stowe Pools SAC. Report for Natural England.
  • Oidtmann B & Rogers D. (2008) Crayfish Plague. Presentation to Defra Wildlife Strategy Meeting 13 November 2008.
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2007) Increasing the chances of successful reintroduction of white-clawed crayfish. Progress in Species Action Plans, in Biodiversity, Conservation and Habitat Management, Edited by Gherardi, F., in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS). Developed under the auspices of UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK. www.eolss.net
  • Rogers D & Watson E. (2007) Increasing the chances of successful reintroduction of white-clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) in the Peak District National Park, UK. International Journal of Biodiversity Science and Management, 3(4): 209-216. Available online.
  • Oidtmann B, Thrush M, Rogers D, Peeler E. (2005) Pathways for transmission of Crayfish Plague, Aphanomyces astaci, in England and Wales. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Available online.
  • Rogers D, Watson E, Alphey L & Coleman P. (2005) A feasibility study of the potential application of sterile male introduction to control the signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus). Report for English Nature.

Department: Biology

Faculty: Education, Health and Sciences

School: School of Science

Subject Area: Biological Sciences

Aquatic Biological Consultant and Expert Witness

Professional interests

  • Environmental management, monitoring, impact/risk assessment
  • Environmental conservation, habitat management, species and wildlife protection
  • Water quality, contamination
  • Oil spill analysis/treatment; river pollution, effluent pollution analysis/treatment, waterbourne diseases
  • Insurance claims (agriculture and environment)
  • Fish/crustacean/shellfish farming
  • Expert witness in fish and aquatic biology court cases
  • Practicing member of the Academy of Experts and listed in the Law Society Directory of Expert Witnesses

Research interests

Environmental Impact Assessment, Ecology, Aquaculture, Crayfish

Membership of professional bodies and advisory committees

Chartered Environmentalist, Accredited Expert Environmental Witness and Practising member of Academy of Experts, Fellow of British Institute of Agricultural Consultants, Institute of Fisheries Management British Trout Association Lead Partner for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for white-clawed crayfish. Former President of International Association of Astacology.

Recent Conferences

  • Rogers , D (2006) Editor of Freshwater Crayfish 15, symposium of the International Association of Astacology.

Additional Interests and Activities

Voluntary (for VSO/BESO, BCCT) fish and environmental expert work in China, Malawi and India.

Reviewer of manuscripts for the following journals:

  • Aquaculture
  • International Association of Astacology Symposia
  • International Journal of Biodiversity
  • Journal of Fish Diseases

Media experience

University of Derby press release  (6 November 2006), followed by articles in Derby Evening Telegraph and Biodiversity News (Defra www.ukbap.org.uk/Library/bn1.pdf).

Undergraduate qualifications

  • BSc Applied Zoology with Agriculture, University of Reading

Postgraduate qualifications

  • MSc Applied Hydrobiology, University of London

Research qualifications

  • PhD Zoology; Crayfish Conservation, University of Nottingham

Research posts

InstitutionProjectDates
University of NottinghamCrayfish Project1992-96
Defra (Aquatic Animal Health Research Requirements 2009-10)Scoping Study for a Strategy for the Conservation of white-clawed crayfish in En2009-10

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