FRESHWATER CRAYFISH

[Andrew Boyd]

You are NOT allowed to catch Crayfish without a licence. If you do catch one by accident you are not allowed to transport it away, nor are you allowed to return it to the water.

I discovered this when doing some research after finding a local water stuffed with a Turkish variety ( some are huge ). The reason you are not allowed to take them away, if you killed a Crayfish then threw it into another watercourse there may be berries ( eggs ) which would spread the problem.

[Brian Carragher]

Andrews right you arent allowed to trap crayfish in England (different laws apply in Scotland) without an EA licence. Even then there are resrictions on the licence that prohibit the taking of our indiginous cray(the brown one). If you intend to trap signal crays you have to get defined permission to do so, as andrew correctly says fertilised eggs could find their way into another water course. Signals when caught are not under any circumstances to be returned to the water regardless of whether they were caught accidently or not. Even throwing them up the embankment wont kill them as they can survive for longer than 2/3days out of water as they can take oxygen over their gills and travel overland to new waters,wet conditions damp weather suits them fine.Signal crays taste delicious and thats the problem as demand for the farmed variety grew so did the incidents of escapes. There cant be many waters that dont have them now, they are here in the north east both in rivers and ponds.

If you do catch a signal cray you will know immedietly as they have bright red flash's on their claws and carapaces(head shell). Kill it and take it home in a bag the eggs will die when they dry out or bury it in the garden any eggs dying in the process. Report any signals to your EA office.

It goes without saying that as they are just like mini lobsters watch out for a nip off those claws. The aussies call them yabbies

[Saints72]

Thanks Andrew and Brian for giving a serious answer...........

 

 

Chris

[ayjay]

The following is all taken from the EA website:-

 

"Fishing for crayfish in England and Wales is only regulated in the Environment Agency’s Thames Region. Further details on commercial exploitation of crayfish can be found on the Environment Agency’s website by clicking on the Crayfish link at the bottom of the page."

 

and here is the info from that link:-

 

"Regulation is needed:

 

(a) to protect our native White-clawed Crayfish;

 

( because the traps and fyke nets commonly used to catch crayfish are "Fixed Engines" as defined by the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act (1975); unless authorised by byelaws, the use of these instruments to catch crayfish is an offence under Section 6 of SAFFA (1975). Therefore, while fishing for crayfish is legal, unless crayfish traps are authorised by byelaws, their use is illegal, even where they are used within a site registered as a fish farm.

 

Current Situation

 

We are currently considering options for regulating fishing for crayfish. If we think that a licensing system and byelaws are needed we will carry out a full consultation with all interested parties.

 

National Angling Byelaw

 

It is an offence to use crayfish (alive or dead) as an angling bait at any time.

 

Freshwater Crayfish booklet

 

We have produced an information booklet on the biology and identification of crayfish which are found in Britain. The booklet also describes the threats posed to our one native species. Copies of the booklet (see picture top left) can be obtained from local offices by telephoning 0845 933 3111."

 

Clear as mud.

[Ken L]

As far as I know, there still arn't any in the Severn but they are present in a few pools arround the Wyre Forrest so that may soon change.

 

I do know a few locations that still contain white claws but despite letters to various bodies including the EA, one of them is currently a building site and there was no indication of any steps taken to protect the crays.

[Sean Anderson]

Yep you need a licence to catch them, if you're taking them away from the water. Get caught without one and you can face a £2500 fine, plus confiscation of your traps, etc.,

 

Someone's comment about throwing them back is a myth ... it's illegal to introduce them, but not to chuck em back in. Like all government bodies you get mixed messages ... the EA state on their site that you are more likely to catch an adult, which in the water will prey on younger ones ... so killing them improves life for the young and can make the situation worse.

 

Removal and culling of these pests needs to be year-round continual and "managed" by professionals who know what they're doing and can identify the INVADERS (signals) from the natives.

[bluerinse]

During the mid eighties I was a chef, Signal crayfish became available to the catering trade imported from France this was before crayfish fish farms were popular, these were always delivered live. Many chefs keep crayfish as pets. These were feed on prawns and the like. They were often taken home and put in goldfish bowls. I am sure many were released into rivers canals and lakes. Chefs tend to move around and would have released them when they moved onto there next job. I am convinced that the wide spread distribution of Crayfish is to a large part down to the catering trade. I knew many chefs who keep them as pets and released them, at the time I was not aware of the environmental impact, and In fact I was not aware there was more than one species. I remember I worked at the Randolph in Oxford and I can say without a doubt that at lease 10 or more crayfish went into the River Thames in around 1985-86.

 

As a side note, They do make the most fantatic Crayfish bisque.

[ColinW]

I wish people wouldn't revive threads that have been dead for three years!

Especially when there is a current thread on exactly the same topic

[Newt]

Since the information is topical and accurate and since the rules in Scotland are apparently changed, it might not be bad to have a more England oriented topic brought back up.

[lyn]

Hi Saints and welcome to AN. I don't know of any exact spots but the Bristol Avon has signal crays in it and as far as I am concerned anyone that whats to eat them is fine by me.

 

They need to be extracted to help our smaller native crayfish. I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem getting a licence. Not sure about any other rivers your way, just put a trap down with a tin of dog food in it and you will soon find out

 

lyn