0:00:05 > 0:00:08Hello there. I'm Matthew Wright.
0:00:08 > 0:00:09You're watching Inside Out.
0:00:09 > 0:00:13Here's what's coming up on tonight's show.
0:00:13 > 0:00:16Does having a Muslim name damage your chances in the job market?
0:00:16 > 0:00:20In their minds, they have a link between Islam and terrorism.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23Maybe that's playing a role behind why they look at a Muslim name
0:00:23 > 0:00:27and think that this is somebody I don't want to employ.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29How the Brexit vote is making it tougher to find the European
0:00:29 > 0:00:32nurses the NHS needs.
0:00:32 > 0:00:36The NHS is already gravely understaffed.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39So if you take away the EU nurses, it will be mayhem.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41It will be chaos.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45And the American crayfish invading the capital's waterways.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49It was recognised that these American crayfish, that they thought
0:00:49 > 0:00:54were immune to the crayfish plague, carried it.
0:00:54 > 0:00:59And that will kill any non-American crayfish within two to three weeks.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10President Trump's travel orders against seven Muslim majority
0:01:10 > 0:01:13countries have put religious discrimination right
0:01:13 > 0:01:18at the top of the news agenda.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Now discrimination can come in many forms, both blatant and subtle.
0:01:21 > 0:01:23And Inside Out has been investigating whether an under
0:01:23 > 0:01:28representation of British Muslims in top professional roles
0:01:28 > 0:01:30is as a result of discrimination in the jobs market.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32We've conducted on exclusive research, and Caroline
0:01:32 > 0:01:38Wyatt has the story.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41I'm in between jobs at the moment.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45It's quite clear that it's not my qualifications or skill
0:01:45 > 0:01:49set that is the issue.
0:01:49 > 0:01:51It is my religion.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54In their minds they have a link between Islamic terrorism.
0:01:54 > 0:01:58Maybe that's playing a role behind why they look at a Muslim name
0:01:58 > 0:02:01and think that this is somebody I don't want to employ.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04I am truly thinking of going down the lines of changing my name.
0:02:04 > 0:02:10Maybe changing my name will get the focus off my religion.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Can your name or your religion hurt your search for a job?
0:02:13 > 0:02:16It's a topic of debate among many Muslims here in the UK,
0:02:16 > 0:02:17and with good reason.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21According to a report backed by MPs, Muslims are three times more likely
0:02:21 > 0:02:26to be unemployed than anyone else.
0:02:26 > 0:02:27So, assumptions are based on your race.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29This diversity coach works with hundreds of recruitment
0:02:29 > 0:02:34officers every year.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36She claims some officers who attended her previous courses
0:02:36 > 0:02:39have admitted to routinely rejecting applicants with Muslim
0:02:39 > 0:02:42or foreign sounding names.
0:02:42 > 0:02:47They've said to me, off the record, that when organisations do contact
0:02:47 > 0:02:50them, they have said, "Please don't send us
0:02:50 > 0:02:54any foreign names."
0:02:54 > 0:02:58And when I questioned them, and said, "Are you colluding
0:02:58 > 0:03:00with them in not sending names that are unusual or foreign
0:03:00 > 0:03:03names?", the recruitment consultants have said,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05"Well, we need business, and what's the point of sending them
0:03:05 > 0:03:09CVs and applications when they are just
0:03:09 > 0:03:13going to be returned?"
0:03:13 > 0:03:15Are Muslim applicants at a disadvantage?
0:03:15 > 0:03:18Are their CVs more likely to be rejected?
0:03:18 > 0:03:21To find out, we're going to undertake an experiment.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25If we're talking about managerial jobs, discrimination testing
0:03:25 > 0:03:29at a managerial level, then it's really a CV
0:03:29 > 0:03:33or an application that starts the process.
0:03:33 > 0:03:38We've teamed up with one of the UK's most renowned social scientists
0:03:38 > 0:03:40to help with the methodology of our experiment to
0:03:40 > 0:03:41ensure its accuracy.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45What we have done here is to create two CVs that
0:03:45 > 0:03:52are more or less identical, but give them two different names.
0:03:52 > 0:03:58So Adam in one case, we have here, and Muhammad, in another.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00So aside from their very different names, our two job-seekers
0:04:00 > 0:04:01are virtually indistinguishable.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Both have obtained degrees in business from top
0:04:03 > 0:04:05ranking universities.
0:04:05 > 0:04:08And both have previously worked as training managers.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11They will each be submitting applications for exactly the same
0:04:11 > 0:04:13100 vacancies in the highly competitive field
0:04:13 > 0:04:15of advertising sales.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Later, we'll find out how they're doing.
0:04:20 > 0:04:25I've lived here for five years.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Like many Muslim women in Tower Hamlets, this woman attends
0:04:27 > 0:04:31classes to help improve her English.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Lessons like this are taking place across the capital after government
0:04:35 > 0:04:39research suggested poor language skills were to blame for high levels
0:04:39 > 0:04:43of unemployment among Britain's Islamic communities.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45But even Muslims who speak impeccable English can
0:04:45 > 0:04:51struggle to find work.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53I think there are employers out there, as soon as
0:04:53 > 0:04:55they see a Muslim name.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57they could straightaway say no to that person.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Ahmed, who doesn't want to be identified,
0:04:59 > 0:05:01is a building contractor.
0:05:01 > 0:05:06He says he is speaking from experience following a disturbing
0:05:06 > 0:05:08incident with a potential employer.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10He mentioned that he was actually recruiting someone for
0:05:10 > 0:05:13a managerial position.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16It would involve travelling to China, Japan.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21It was probably my dream job, I would say.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25He said to me he would read through the CV and get back to me.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26We exchanged numbers and that was that.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29A few days later, Ahmed received a text message from the man
0:05:29 > 0:05:33who had requested his CV.
0:05:33 > 0:05:34I was actually excited.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36Wow, this could be yes for me.
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Until I opened the text.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41"My Previous dislike of Islam has now hardened.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45into real hate.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47That false and decadent religion now threatens our on societies."
0:05:47 > 0:05:48I actually felt threatened.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51This person with so much hatred has got my address.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54He could do something to my family.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56I was scared.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57I wasn't sleeping well.
0:05:57 > 0:06:02It did really affect me.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04It wasn't until only after I got the police
0:06:04 > 0:06:06involved, I felt a bit safe.
0:06:06 > 0:06:12Muslim men such as Ahmed are 76% less likely to be
0:06:12 > 0:06:16employed than their white Christian counterparts.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18Growing numbers claim they're barred from the workforce due to prejudice.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22There is a perception of Muslim employees being considered to be
0:06:22 > 0:06:29disloyal, considered to be political.
0:06:29 > 0:06:34Their appearances sometimes are read as them being fundamentalist.
0:06:34 > 0:06:39And it's leading to a significant number of Muslim employees
0:06:39 > 0:06:42being discriminated against.
0:06:42 > 0:06:44Nabilla is a barrister who represents Muslims taking legal
0:06:44 > 0:06:46action against employers.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50She believes that prejudice against Muslims in the job market
0:06:50 > 0:06:54has escalated dramatically over the last 15 years.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Every time that there is a terrorist incident, what you'll see
0:06:57 > 0:07:02is that there is a growth in mistreatment of employees.
0:07:02 > 0:07:09There have been a spate of these kind of cases since 7/7.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It is two weeks since we began our experiment to discover if having
0:07:12 > 0:07:16a Muslim name harms your chances of getting work.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Our job-seekers are applying for the same positions
0:07:18 > 0:07:20in middle management.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23They have sent out 50 applications each, and Adam has already received
0:07:23 > 0:07:26four positive responses.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29I've actually got quite a few offers at the moment,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32so if I could just have a couple of days to think about it
0:07:32 > 0:07:37and maybe get back to you?
0:07:37 > 0:07:38There have been no calls for Mohamed.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But there are still another 50 vacancies to apply for.
0:07:41 > 0:07:42In Britain there is a well-established tradition
0:07:42 > 0:07:45of many Muslims and Asians modifying their names in order
0:07:45 > 0:07:48to improve their chances in the job market.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51Some Muslims have even been forced by their bosses to adopt more
0:07:51 > 0:07:55English sounding names.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58I had a student job where the employer looked
0:07:58 > 0:08:01at my name and said, "Oh, that won't do."
0:08:01 > 0:08:04He said, "Introduce yourself as Terry Miles",
0:08:04 > 0:08:07or some name like that.
0:08:07 > 0:08:10And I was very unhappy to do so.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14My old boss used to call me Joseph instead of Yogesh.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16And I kept saying, "No, it's Yogesh."
0:08:16 > 0:08:18And he said, "Do you have a middle name?"
0:08:18 > 0:08:20And I said, "Yeah, it's Krishan."
0:08:20 > 0:08:23But he couldn't pronounce that, so in the end he called me Chris.
0:08:23 > 0:08:25Krishan is the director for quality at a leading pharmaceutical company.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28It's taken in decades to reach this senior role.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30I entered the job market in the 80s.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35I put my CV in and was disappointed I got rejection letters.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38Someone suggested, why don't you, you know, put a very English name
0:08:38 > 0:08:43in with your CV and your name, and see who they might
0:08:43 > 0:08:46offer the job to?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49So I had my name, Yogesh Krishan.
0:08:49 > 0:08:50I had John Smith.
0:08:50 > 0:08:53John Smith got the interview.
0:08:53 > 0:08:59I got rejected for interview.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02It's three months since our job-seekers each applied
0:09:02 > 0:09:04for the same 100 vacancies.
0:09:04 > 0:09:09So, how have they done?
0:09:09 > 0:09:16Adam here got 12 positive responses and four enquiries from headhunters.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19Mohamed only got four positive responses and two
0:09:19 > 0:09:23responses from headhunters.
0:09:23 > 0:09:29What we've identified very clearly is that the Muslim sounding person's
0:09:29 > 0:09:33CV is only likely to get them an interview in one out of three
0:09:33 > 0:09:37cases, where and Anglo-Saxon name would get a response,
0:09:37 > 0:09:42a positive response.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45Our research is based on a small sample of responses,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48but it does indicate a pattern of prejudice against Muslims
0:09:48 > 0:09:50in the UK workforce.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Some organisations are trialling name blind CDs, which stop
0:09:53 > 0:10:00recruitment officers making on fair judgments.
0:10:00 > 0:10:00--
0:10:00 > 0:10:00-- on
0:10:00 > 0:10:02-- on fair.
0:10:02 > 0:10:03But this unemployed chartered surveyor believes
0:10:03 > 0:10:05their effect is limited.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07I've seen many people who are less skilled than me,
0:10:07 > 0:10:10but have risen up into more senior management positions much
0:10:10 > 0:10:13faster and much quicker, more because their face fits
0:10:13 > 0:10:19than an application from a candidate like myself.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21At that early stage, sometimes they don't reveal
0:10:21 > 0:10:24the name of the person, but clearly when you walk
0:10:24 > 0:10:27into an interview, it's quite apparent that you're not going to be
0:10:27 > 0:10:33John Smith.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35High levels of joblessness are having a devastating effect
0:10:35 > 0:10:38on Muslim communities across the capital.
0:10:38 > 0:10:43More than half of Muslim households live in poverty,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45higher than any other social group.
0:10:45 > 0:10:51Changing this will require equal access to employment.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Caroline Wyatt reporting.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58And if you've got a story about name discrimination you think
0:10:58 > 0:11:04we should hear about, then why not drop us a line?
0:11:04 > 0:11:06The address is:
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Don't worry, I'll give that to you again
0:11:08 > 0:11:09at the end of the programme.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11Still to come on tonight's show...
0:11:11 > 0:11:14My best customers are the otters at the zoo.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Absolutely every single week, crayfish, we want crayfish,
0:11:17 > 0:11:19where are the crayfish?
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The crayfish is just a good way of giving them really natural food
0:11:22 > 0:11:25that they can eat in the wild and one that's getting them
0:11:25 > 0:11:30using their instincts and hunting ability as well.
0:11:30 > 0:11:31s
0:11:31 > 0:11:33While MPs have been thrashing out a bill to trigger
0:11:33 > 0:11:36out a bill to trigger
0:11:36 > 0:11:38the countdown to Brexit, there are some sectors
0:11:38 > 0:11:40where the effects of last summer's referendum are already
0:11:40 > 0:11:42being keenly felt.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47That's already the case for the NHS, which is heavily dependent on EU
0:11:47 > 0:11:51nurses, especially here the capital.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55There are now urgent calls for the government to clarify
0:11:55 > 0:12:00the status of these workers to protect front line services.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03We meet some absolutely fantastic people who are anxious,
0:12:03 > 0:12:06who come here because they do want to do a really good job
0:12:06 > 0:12:07to a very high standard.
0:12:07 > 0:12:14And what they want is clarity, like we all do.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17To sell the NHS to EU nurses is much harder than it was prior
0:12:17 > 0:12:20to the Brexit referendum.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22The NHS is already really, really gravely understaffed.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26So if you take away the EU nurses, the EU doctors, it will be
0:12:26 > 0:12:35mayhem, it will be chaos.
0:12:40 > 0:12:46Rene completed his medical training back in his native Austria.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50He's now working as a senior nurse at Great Ormond Street.
0:12:50 > 0:12:56Ashan is a six-month, long-term ventilated patient.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59He has had six surgeries already.
0:12:59 > 0:13:01He was really sick at the beginning.
0:13:01 > 0:13:06But he's smiling all the time.
0:13:06 > 0:13:07He's getting really, really good.
0:13:07 > 0:13:12I came here in December 2015 and I've been working here since then.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13I've always wanted to gain international experience
0:13:13 > 0:13:14and improve my skills.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17And for me the NHS means always excellence and high standards.
0:13:17 > 0:13:26I think your dressing has been changed also, right?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29Last summer's vote in favour of Brexit means the future
0:13:29 > 0:13:31status of nurses like Rene is currently uncertain.
0:13:31 > 0:13:38They may lose their jobs and be forced to leave the UK.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41The situation is still unclear.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43We have a lot of nurses from abroad, like from Spain
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and Italy and Portugal.
0:13:45 > 0:13:47It's a big impact for the NHS if we have to leave.
0:13:47 > 0:13:57And I do hope there will be a chance to stay here.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Cuts to training budgets and a shortage of home-grown nurses
0:14:01 > 0:14:07wanting to work for the NHS, mean that many hospitals rely
0:14:07 > 0:14:09heavily on EU nurses like Rene.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We haven't got enough nurses within the UK to fill our vacancies.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14And currently we do need people who want to come
0:14:14 > 0:14:16and work and live in the UK.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18And when you look at the figures, which are incredibly high,
0:14:18 > 0:14:21it's 13% of the nurses working in London have been
0:14:21 > 0:14:25recruited from Europe.
0:14:25 > 0:14:26That is a lot.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29That is 7000 individuals that are currently supporting our
0:14:29 > 0:14:30families and our people with their care.
0:14:30 > 0:14:40Obviously that is a big impact if they were not to be here.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44So we are going to listen from here.
0:14:44 > 0:14:48I grew up in a world in the European Union,
0:14:48 > 0:14:50in which there was no question about, will I be welcome
0:14:50 > 0:14:51in another state?
0:14:51 > 0:14:53I just go.
0:14:53 > 0:14:53I can.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57It's my right.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Italian nurse Serena is in her final year of training
0:14:59 > 0:15:02at London South Bank University.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05She may also be forced to leave the UK after Brexit.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07I was quite shocked by the Brexit vote.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I never expected a result like this.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14I felt a bit betrayed, because these are people that we look after,
0:15:14 > 0:15:16so they can see the level of care they provide.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19They can see how we work, and to think that they actually
0:15:19 > 0:15:29prefer not us to be there, it was a bit of a shock.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Serena believes that Brexit is going to throw up numerous
0:15:34 > 0:15:40obstacles for EU nurses wanting to work here.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45I think there is going to be, first of all, a psychological impact
0:15:45 > 0:15:48on nurses wanting to come here, and then there's the practicalities.
0:15:48 > 0:15:49Would they need a visa?
0:15:49 > 0:15:52They might say no, you can't stay here unless you have
0:15:52 > 0:15:55a certain minimal income.
0:15:55 > 0:15:57What if they lose their job for whatever reason?
0:15:57 > 0:16:06Do they - I don't know, do they need to be deported?
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Currently recruiting nurses from the EU is
0:16:08 > 0:16:10relatively straightforward, because a European Directive ensures
0:16:10 > 0:16:12that training standards are the same across all the member states.
0:16:12 > 0:16:22Post-Brexit, though, this is likely to change.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24If we no longer have free movement of workers,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27if we do have to treat those coming from Spain, Italy France,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30on the same footing as those coming from Canada, the States,
0:16:30 > 0:16:39the Philippines, they will probably have to apply for a visa.
0:16:39 > 0:16:40They will probably need to demonstrate to us
0:16:40 > 0:16:42that their standards of qualification are as required
0:16:42 > 0:16:45here, and they will probably need to take a test.
0:16:45 > 0:16:54That means it's probably going to take longer.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56The pipeline may well slow down after Brexit,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58but for the companies who have been recruiting European
0:16:58 > 0:17:05nurses for the NHS, it's already started to dry up.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07At TFS we have seen approximately a 20% reduction of placements.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11To sell the NHS to EU nurses, it's much harder than it was prior
0:17:11 > 0:17:12to the Brexit referendum.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14They're scared of giving up everything within their homes,
0:17:14 > 0:17:16effectively, moving across to the UK, and not feeling
0:17:16 > 0:17:18valued, and feeling like it might not be a permanent
0:17:18 > 0:17:28opportunity any more.
0:17:28 > 0:17:31Last time I was in Spain, I was approached by a nurse that
0:17:31 > 0:17:33said, well, would I be even welcome in England?
0:17:33 > 0:17:40Which is such a shame.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43In fact, new figures have revealed while over 1,300 nurses from the EU
0:17:43 > 0:17:46registered to work in Britain last July, in December that figure had
0:17:46 > 0:17:47fallen to just over 100.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50Among the EU nurses already employed here, only those who have worked
0:17:50 > 0:17:53long enough to qualify for residency have been able to achieve
0:17:53 > 0:18:02a degree of job security.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06I apply for a permanent residence, and I got the results in December
0:18:06 > 0:18:09last year and for now, until - now I can actually work,
0:18:09 > 0:18:16work here and stay in the UK.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20So did the doctor see you today?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Ishmalia completed her degree in Portugal in 2009.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24Since then, she's worked for a London Hospital Trust,
0:18:24 > 0:18:29supervising stroke patients.
0:18:29 > 0:18:31That's why you're having problems your right hand,
0:18:31 > 0:18:35because the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38If I would stay in Portugal I wouldn't be a clinical nurse
0:18:38 > 0:18:39specialist seven years after I qualified.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41I think that the NHS invests in their staff,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44in health care professionals, in a way my country doesn't.
0:18:44 > 0:18:54So we think your stroke is on the left side of the brain.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57But there are many EU nurses working here who,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59unlike Ishmalia, might not have the option of staying.
0:18:59 > 0:19:02Concerns about the potential damage Brexit could do to the nursing
0:19:02 > 0:19:04pipeline are being put to the Government by
0:19:04 > 0:19:09the Cavendish Coalition.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11An umbrella group of 33 different health organisations,
0:19:11 > 0:19:17including NHS employers.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19What the Cavendish Coalition is asking for for EU nationals
0:19:19 > 0:19:22who are working in health and social care now, is they are granted
0:19:22 > 0:19:25indefinite leave to remain, so they are clear that they have
0:19:25 > 0:19:28a real commitment from this country to them being part of our population
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and part of our social care and health provision, beyond us
0:19:31 > 0:19:39leaving the European Union.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41We contacted the Department of Health, who told us that:
0:19:41 > 0:19:44The Prime Minister has been clear that she wants to protect the status
0:19:44 > 0:19:46of EU nationals already living here.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48This will be a key objective in our negotiations,
0:19:48 > 0:19:53in terms of leaving the EU.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55For London's 7,000 EU nurses, official assurances
0:19:55 > 0:20:00can't come soon enough.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02I'd certainly want to see the Government clarifying
0:20:02 > 0:20:04the position of EU workers.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06They know perfectly the NHS cannot cope without us.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08They have to do it, because without us the NHS
0:20:08 > 0:20:18would just collapse.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22It's great so many of our rivers and canals here in the capital
0:20:22 > 0:20:25are a lot cleaner than they used to be, and that wildlife
0:20:25 > 0:20:26is thriving once again.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29However, there is one resident of our waterways that's been making
0:20:29 > 0:20:33itself very unwelcome indeed.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35We sent Nigel Barden to find out more about the invasion
0:20:35 > 0:20:45of the American crayfish.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47This could be the Mississippi Delta, but it's only 20 miles
0:20:47 > 0:20:49from the centre of London.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Dusk is the perfect time to set your crayfish trap.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Here on this lake near Ware, fisherman Tony Vessey is looking
0:20:54 > 0:21:01forward to a good catch.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04We use a bait, preferably mackerel anything that's a fishy, oily smell,
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and we just place that out in the water, make sure the zip's
0:21:07 > 0:21:14closed and we leave them in there for approximately 24-48-hours.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16And they clamber in and can't get out.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21Yes, they can go in but they can't get back out.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24On a good catch that would be something between 120 and 150 kilos.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25Wow.
0:21:25 > 0:21:29That's a lot of crayfish.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31Crayfish are very tasty, and crayfish gumbo's a fantastic dish.
0:21:31 > 0:21:35Our rivers, canals and water ways in London are chock full of them.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37But this isn't a great story about food right on our doorsteps.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's bad news, because these are invaders, and they've nearly
0:21:40 > 0:21:41killed off all our native species.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47But howd did they get here in the first place?
0:21:47 > 0:21:57They were introduced.
0:21:57 > 0:21:58They were introduced for fishery business,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01to export to Scandinavia, back in 1976, and they were put
0:22:01 > 0:22:02into various quarries
0:22:02 > 0:22:06and fisheries around, generally just outside of London
0:22:06 > 0:22:10and further, and of course they breed and they've got legs
0:22:10 > 0:22:13and they can get out of the lakes and things like that,
0:22:13 > 0:22:19which they did, and spread around.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21Very soon after they were introduced, it was recognised
0:22:21 > 0:22:24at last these American crayfish that they thought were immune
0:22:24 > 0:22:27to the crayfish plague carried it, and that will kill any non-American
0:22:27 > 0:22:34crayfish within about two or three weeks.
0:22:34 > 0:22:35And kill them it did.
0:22:35 > 0:22:37Our waterways are now full of these invaders.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40the River Lea is teeming with them, and they have become a big
0:22:40 > 0:22:44environment problem, as local fishermen have witnessed.
0:22:44 > 0:22:46They can damage the environment, they can burrow into the banks,
0:22:46 > 0:22:49they can clear natural vegetation which is on the water,
0:22:49 > 0:22:58which fish and other water invertebrates rely on.
0:22:58 > 0:23:00They will eat fish eggs, which stops further populations
0:23:00 > 0:23:02of fish coming through, and occasionally they can actually
0:23:02 > 0:23:08catch and eat small fish as well.
0:23:08 > 0:23:11Bob Ring believes the answer is to trap them and eat them.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13So he started an organisation called Crayaway, where he buys them
0:23:13 > 0:23:19from trappers and sells them on.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Crayaway I set up as the sort of pest control side
0:23:22 > 0:23:25of things initially, with the idea of trying to get rid
0:23:25 > 0:23:29of as many crayfish as possible.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32It seemed not much was being done about it.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35I will do my various events, so if I do a crawfish boil,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37it's a great party and everything, but we'll get through over
0:23:37 > 0:23:41100 kilo in an evening for one of those events.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44So we do a few of those a year, they add up.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46Glastonbury Festival, get through probably getting
0:23:46 > 0:23:47on for quarter of a tonne.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49My best customers are the otters at the zoo.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Absolutely every single week "Crayfish, we want crayfish,
0:23:51 > 0:23:59where's our crayfish?"
0:23:59 > 0:24:03You're feeding them live, of course, so they can go out, and then there's
0:24:03 > 0:24:04an element of predator.
0:24:04 > 0:24:05Yes, exactly, so they go in live.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08You probably see them crawling down the bottom of the pond,
0:24:08 > 0:24:11so just to give that added challenge to them, obviously they are
0:24:11 > 0:24:15invertebrates so it's fine do that.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17invertebrates so it's fine to do that.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20They go down into the pond, they have to use the muscles,
0:24:20 > 0:24:22the senses they would do out in the wild to be
0:24:22 > 0:24:23able to catch them.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27The crayfish just are really a good way of giving them a natural food
0:24:27 > 0:24:29they would eat in the wild and one that is getting them
0:24:29 > 0:24:32using the their instincts and hunting ability as well.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34The crayfish you supply to the otters at London Zoo,
0:24:34 > 0:24:35where are they from?
0:24:35 > 0:24:38There is a lot of crayfish in the Oxfordshire, Berkshire area,
0:24:38 > 0:24:39Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Hertfordshire.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41I've got boats up on the Thames up in Oxfordshire.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Quite a lot within the M25 but I'm not allowed to get
0:24:44 > 0:24:45anywhere near them.
0:24:45 > 0:24:51Trapping these pests seems to be a piece of cake.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00So if we have so many of them in London, why can Bob
0:25:00 > 0:25:03trap them in the shires, but he's not allowed
0:25:03 > 0:25:05anywhere near them here?
0:25:05 > 0:25:13Many of the capitals waterways And although they put the non-native
0:25:13 > 0:25:16crayfish right near the top of their rogues' gallery,
0:25:16 > 0:25:20they almost always refuse to let people trap them commercially.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24From the evidence there is on trials so far,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27intensive trapping actually doesn't help reduce the species,
0:25:27 > 0:25:29the problem can get worse.
0:25:29 > 0:25:34Crayfish are quite interesting and they actually do cannibalise,
0:25:34 > 0:25:36so older large crayfish will eat younger crayfish as well.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39If you put down traps, even on a quite intensive basis,
0:25:39 > 0:25:41you're more likely to get the older crayfish within the population,
0:25:41 > 0:25:44and it really just means they won't be there to keep
0:25:44 > 0:25:46the numbers down on the younger ones, and the actual
0:25:46 > 0:25:52population can just explode.
0:25:52 > 0:25:54When you have a network that's all linked up,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57like the canal and river one is, it's very hard to make sure,
0:25:57 > 0:26:00even if we were successful in clearing crayfish out
0:26:00 > 0:26:02of a stretch such as this, they could just easily just move
0:26:02 > 0:26:07back in, into the vacated area.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09The other thing is the methods used for trapping crayfish,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12so we have these what are called pots, the little crayfish traps,
0:26:12 > 0:26:15but they will catch other things as well, and we have had a number
0:26:15 > 0:26:18of incidents on our network over recent years, where otters and birds
0:26:18 > 0:26:24have got caught in that.
0:26:24 > 0:26:31You find a lot of illegal traps and this is one we found literally
0:26:34 > 0:26:37You find a lot of illegal traps and this is one we found literally
0:26:37 > 0:26:42just a few hundred yards from where we're standing now.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44What you can find is creatures, specifically otters,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47would be able to enter into the trap, looking
0:26:47 > 0:26:54for the bait which is placed there to attract the crayfish,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57but once an otter would get into it, it would find it extremely difficult
0:26:57 > 0:27:00to get out and of course this is submerged under the water
0:27:00 > 0:27:07and therefore the otter is going to drown.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09The canal and river trust are aware most commercial trappers use
0:27:09 > 0:27:12safe and legal nets, and they really do want both
0:27:12 > 0:27:14the crayfish and the illegal trappers out of our waterways.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16So they haven't closed the door forever on allowing
0:27:16 > 0:27:23mass trapping in London.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25The trials going on on intensive trapping, to try its effectiveness,
0:27:25 > 0:27:27are being carried on at the moment.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31If the results show it can be done, we would certainly look into working
0:27:31 > 0:27:33with them on the problem, because we have several
0:27:33 > 0:27:36reasons for not doing it, but so far we've found very little
0:27:36 > 0:27:39else that actually does work, so we've got to find some way
0:27:39 > 0:27:49to tackle invasive species and help the native crayfish.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Maybe one way of helping the native crayfish back could be to stop
0:27:59 > 0:28:03thinking of these American invaders as pests, but like the otters,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05think of them as a delicious meal.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08These are really tasty, and you can't help but thinking
0:28:08 > 0:28:11with a move towards eating locally, that it's a great shame to eat these
0:28:11 > 0:28:13in London you have to bring them in from elsewhere.
0:28:13 > 0:28:15Surely monitoring, catching and eating, this is a great
0:28:15 > 0:28:20long-term solution to keep these numbers down.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23I have to say, the crayfish look really tasty, and the otters
0:28:23 > 0:28:30certainly seem to agree.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32But that's all for this week's Inside Out.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35If you've missed any of tonight's show that you'd like to catch up
0:28:35 > 0:28:37on the iPlayer then head to our website.
0:28:37 > 0:28:44The address is bbc.co.uk/insideout and then just click on London.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47And if you have a story about name discriminination you think
0:28:47 > 0:28:49we should know about, drop us a line.
0:28:49 > 0:28:50Thanks very much for watching.
0:28:50 > 0:28:57See you again soon.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Hello, I'm Riz Lateef with your 90-second update.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Overcrowded - the number of patients on wards in England have been
0:29:11 > 0:29:14at unsafe levels in nine out of ten hospitals this winter.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16That's according to BBC analysis.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19NHS bosses said there were problems discharging frail patients.