arian ▁veget ation ▁( e . g . ▁p ine ▁plant ations ), ▁without ▁rip arian ▁veget ation ▁and ▁in ▁farm ▁d ams . ▁A ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁study ▁failed ▁to ▁find ▁c ray fish ▁in ▁water ways ▁of ▁established ▁agricult ural ▁areas ▁where ▁all ▁rip arian ▁veget ation ▁had ▁been ▁removed . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁importance ▁ ▁Fish ing ▁for ▁the ▁giant ▁fresh water ▁c ray fish ▁was ▁never ▁a ▁commercial ▁proposition , ▁and ▁its ▁slow ▁growth ▁and ▁ag gress ive ▁nature ▁suggest ▁that ▁the ▁species ▁is ▁not ▁suitable ▁for ▁aqu ac ulture . ▁As ▁an ▁ed ible ▁animal , ▁they ▁are ▁further ▁dis adv ant aged ▁of ▁being ▁so ▁sp iny ▁that ▁they ▁can ▁cut ▁hands ▁if ▁care lessly ▁sh elled ▁after ▁cook ing , ▁and ▁they ▁yield ▁little ▁meat ▁relative ▁to ▁total ▁weight . ▁However , ▁the ▁striking ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁species ▁makes ▁it ▁a ▁potential ▁tour ism ▁draw card . ▁ ▁Th re ats ▁and ▁conservation ▁The ▁principal ▁causes ▁for ▁the ▁population ▁decl ines ▁of ▁the ▁Tas man ian ▁giant ▁fresh water ▁c ray fish ▁have ▁been ▁previous ▁over f ishing , ▁continued ▁illegal ▁fish ing ▁and ▁habitat ▁disturb ance ▁by ▁agricult ural , ▁forest ry ▁and ▁urban ▁activities . ▁Exper ts ▁estimate ▁there ▁are ▁less ▁than ▁ 1 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁remaining ▁in ▁the ▁wild . ▁ ▁Land ▁clear ing ▁typically ▁requires ▁appro val ▁with ▁a ▁Forest ▁Pract ices ▁Plan ▁and ▁ 1 0 m ▁stream side ▁buff ers . ▁Until ▁recently