First crayfish haul

[Janne]

I have seen what the disease does to them. The gills look black.

I do not think it is possible to save the native ones. Sweden got the disease in late 60's or early 70's, and the natives are today rarer then hen's teeth.

I know it is a wrong thought, but sometimes we just have to accept.

 

[santaman2000]

I had also thought what Mary said, that the invasive were the ones who brought the disease. RV, most of our crawfish crop here is an indirect result of plant crops. Specifically rice. The rice farmers drain the paddies and harvest with a combine then reflow the fields. The crawfish then feast and fatten on the leftover rice grains (combines leave LOTS) before they’re harvested also.

 

[Woody girl]

American signal crayfish were brought to Europe to farm them in the late 60s and early 70s but some escaped and have been an exploding population ever since
They also brought a disease that wipes out the native species. That is why the native ones are protected.
Have a look at my local river, the Barle on exmoor on the interweb and see what we are doing to try and eradicate them. It's a big project!

 

[Broch]

Not quite, the European crayfish were already in decline because of disease before the signal crayfish were brought into the UK specifically as a commercial crop. It may be that it was the introduction of the plague to the UK but that's not necessarily accepted by all parties.

I agree with Janne, we will never get the native species back in numbers; we have to accept the position we've put ourselves in and enjoy the bigger juicier new version

Bio security isn't going to work - they will walk hundreds of metres across land in a day to move to new water (see the second reference below that states only chemical solutions will/may work).

See https://www.waterways.org.uk/news_campaigns/campaigns/invasive_species/crayfish/signal_crayfish

Or if you want a more official view (and a long read) see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/eradication-of-alien-crayfish-populations--2

In particular read section 6.6 - Summary of Conclusions which says it's a lost cause! I believe it.

 

[Broch]

Back to the OP - nice catch, bon appetit!

 

[santaman2000]

RV! Alton Brown is returning with new episodes of Good Eats. I usually just buy a premade (commercial) crab/crawfish/shrimp seasoning mix (my favorite is Zataran’s) But this video from Alton has a decent recipe to mix your own.