Crayfish are deemed, by the government and government agencies, to be fish.
Therefore, as long as you possess a valid rod licence you can remove most
species by rod and line. There is no limit to the number you can remove by
this method, subject to the landowner's permission.
However, if you intend
to keep any of the crayfish you have caught in any kind of holding facility
then you will require a licence. Should you wish to keep crayfish, please
follow this link to download the application form:
www.efishbusiness.com/formsandguides/cray2.pdf
If you have difficulties accessing this then please contact us again with a
postal address and we will be able to give you a paper copy of the
application form.
Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection for
the native white-clawed (or Atlantic stream) crayfish, preventing the taking
of native crayfish from the wild for consumption, recreational angling and
for the purposes of sale. It is a given, therefore, that if you do not know
what species of crayfish you might catch, you should not fish for crayfish
since you risk prosecution even for accidental taking of native crayfish.
You should note also that Section 14 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act
prohibits the release into any inland water, without a licence, of any
non-native crayfish. This covers "catch and release" so any non-native
crayfish that are caught must not be put back, regardless of size.
Although, the trapping of crayfish is permitted in the Environment Agency's
Thames Region under a byelaw you will need to apply to the Agency for a
consent, as well as obtaining the landowners permission. No other
Environment Agency Region has such a byelaw, so
you would need to contact
Agency offices in the other Regions direct in order to establish their
willingness to let you use nets.
The same considerations set out above, relating to protection of native
crayfish, apply as much to netting as to angling.
You are also not allowed to put back any non-native crayfish you may have
caught, including any that you may consider are undersized.
You may wish to be aware that the issue of allowing individuals to trap
crayfish is at present under scrutiny with a new national byelaw being
developed.
If you would like consent to trap for signal crayfish, please
contact the relevant area office of the Environment Agency. They will be
able to provide you with any other information you may need or should be
aware of. If you are unsure as to which Agency area you may come under,
call the office you think is the right one and they can transfer you.
Yours sincerely
Miss A C Bowman
Fisheries Division II
(Aquaculture, Salmon, and Freshwater Fisheries)
