Ornamental Signals

[Newt]

they'd actually make pretty cool additions to an indoor tank

 

They would and do - as long as you aren't overly fond of the other critters in the tank when you add the cray. Or if the other critters in the tank are large enough to think a cray is a tasty snack.

[ridgeacre]

Some one told me that they fetch £4/£5 per pound

in the fish markets if they do might be worth having a part time job catching them. Does anybody now the true price.

[Peter Waller]

We have commercial trappers on the Broads for the blessed things. Their only saving grace being that the perch are growing big on them. At the moment they are in specific parts of the Broads, and whilst those populations are dense, these wee beasties don't appear to be travelling. Might be a case that the trappers are keeping them under control.

[Jon Hedges]

Oh these things travel alright - I caught one 4 miles downstream of the area of my local river (Nene, Northampton) where they were supposed to have "not travelled beyond". The 4 mile stretch has numerous obstacles (wiers etc) so they can and do move on. There is also a local lake which is infested with them and this is a mile form the river - though there is a small strem that connects to it and runs 20 yards past the lake.

I hate them ! :mad:

[davidP]

OK, I've had a response from the EA - it's a bit non-committal but they're looking into it. Hope they do it better than their spelling

 

 

"Thank you for your eqnuriy regard selling/stocking of signal crayfish.

 

We have spoken to an officer at the Fish Health Inspectorate, who is checking on the legal implications.

 

He will also check *shop name deleted* as they may not be breaking the law, if the people they are supplying has a licence for the crayfish. (very technical minefield)

 

If we here anything further on this matter, we will inform you of the outcomes for the legal implications.

 

For your information, you may be interested in the following website, where you can find all the information about signal crayfish.

 

http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk/

 

Follow the links for "controls of non-native species"

 

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

 

Regards

 

National Customer Contact Team"

 

[ 08. April 2004, 08:35 PM: Message edited by: davidP ]

[davidP]

Actually now I've looked at the site they sent it's clear that anybody who buys a signal crayfish from an aquarist and stocks it in an outdoor pond is definitely causing an offence. Presumably the shop would be guilty of aiding and abetting if such an offence exists in this part of the law.

 

Something else I noticed on the site was in the list of fish it is illegal to stock - the Burbot is listed. So it's now illegal to stock a fish that was until comparatively recently a native species. Wonder why?