Signal crayfish...again!

[Toadflax]

I know there have been various threads on this (which I have read) and I have trawled the Environment Agency web site and various others, so I'm going to summarise what I have found and see if people think I'm correct.

1. If you want to catch signal crayfish in the 'right' area of the country, defined by postcode, then you don't need a license to catch them. Basically, these are areas where there are feral populations.
2. Having caught them you are not permitted to return them to the water - you must either kill them or take them away...
3. ...but you are not allowed to transport them without a different license, even if you are going to take them straight home to eat yourself. The license to transport also requires you to have secure storage for them at home, or wherever you are going to take them.
4. You don't need a rod license or fishing permit to fish for them, though it would probably make matters easier for yourself if someone challenged you if you did have the appropriate fishing licenses.

So if I want to go down to the local river and catch some crayfish for personal consumption, the only legal way to do without a special license seems to be to kill and cook them on the spot, or kill them and take them home (NOT take them home and kill them).

I've heard that they are best purged in clean water before eating (which means the license to transport and keep them) and that they are best cooked fresh, but as this seems to be illegal without the special license, I wondered if they are OK to eat if killed at the riverbank, but then cooked at home within a few hours of being killed.

Also, I don't really want to buy a trap (though I know they are cheap) so I was thinking of a bit of meat on a string, together with my landing net, plus a pair of gardening gloves and my mora to dispatch them.

Any comments?



Geoff

 

[andyn]

Geoff,

Drop Bambodoggy a PM, he obtained said license. I'm pretty sure they encouraged him to have it and it was FOC.

As to catching them...fire hardened sharpened stick?

 

[MattW]

I'm afraid you're not entirely correct.

A licence is required to trap or catch crayfish (whether they be invasives or native). Trapping, release or translocation is covered by current legislation and is an offence unless you have the necessary licence.:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/fish/freshwater/crayfish.htm

Further, the use of traps of any type in many (if not most) UK freshwaters is illegal / controlled.

If in doubt, contact your local environment agency office:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Matt

 

[Goose]

I'm afraid you're not entirely correct.

A licence is required to trap or catch crayfish (whether they be invasives or native). Trapping, release or translocation is covered by current legislation and is an offence unless you have the necessary licence.:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/fish/freshwater/crayfish.htm

Further, the use of traps of any type in many (if not most) UK freshwaters is illegal / controlled.

If in doubt, contact your local environment agency office:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

Matt

Matt I think you have misread the info , You need a licence(usually) to keep crayfish

[It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to release, or allow to escape, any non-native animal to the wild in Great Britain except under licence. The same offences apply in respect of certain non-indigenous species, which have established resident populations in Britain and which are listed in Schedule 9 of the Act.

/QUOTE]

But for trapping,

If you are thinking of trapping crayfish you should bear in mind that there are a number of conditions that need to be met. Permission to trap will be dependent on local situations, in particular the presence of the native crayfish. The EA will also take into account the possible detrimental effect that trapping could have on other species, such as protected animals like otters and water voles. Many water courses go through private properties and it will be your responsibility to obtain the permission of the landowner before you commence. You should also try and ensure that the traps are inspected every 24 hours, and disinfected after use.

The way I read it you need to stick to byelaws but the licence doesn't apply to trapping. I think the licences are for markets and hotels who are serving crayfish on the menu, rather than keeping crayfish in your pond for example.

 

[MattW]

I'm afraid not. The line:

On 1 June 2005, the Environment Agency introduced a package of crayfish Byelaws that will allow them, under certain conditions, to approve the trapping of crayfish in England and Wales.

and

If you are thinking of trapping crayfish you should bear in mind that there are a number of conditions that need to be met. Permission to trap will be dependent on local situations, in particular the presence of the native crayfish.

are quite clear.

Also this page from the Environment Agency Website: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/246986/342184/1205879/1206007/
is unequivocal. Trust me, consent is required.

It's very easy to infer things from web pages that support your agenda, but a quick phone call to your local Environment Agency office will clear it up.

Matt

 

[Toadflax]

I spoke to the local EA office this afternoon and they confirmed that I can trap crayfish in my area, but that I do need a permit. They are sending me the stuff by post. I'll keep this thread updated as I get on with the application.

What I still need to establish is that if I want to take the crayfish to cook at home, can I take them home alive or do I need to kill them on the riverbank? I may need to speak to the EA again once I have the paperwork.

I was thinking about catching them by line and net (e.g. dangle a bit of bacon on a string and use my landing net to haul them out) but with the low price of traps, I'm leaning towards using a trap now.


Geoff

 

[pierre girard]

I


Also, I don't really want to buy a trap (though I know they are cheap) so I was thinking of a bit of meat on a string, together with my landing net, plus a pair of gardening gloves and my mora to dispatch them.

Any comments?



Geoff

Don't know anything about the UK laws. I also don't know if your crayfish are the same as ours. Here, we just lift up rocks and grab the crayfish (you have to be quick and remember they swim backwards). Yesterday my nephews went out and got between 100 and 150 in a couple hours. Tasted great!

 

[Toadflax]

I'd wade in and get them by hand if I could, but the Thames near where I live is several feet deep!


Geoff

 

[dommyracer]

I also don't know if your crayfish are the same as ours.

Pierre, over here we have native Crayfish, but the ones people are talking about trapping ar the American or 'Signal' Crayfish, which are the ones you get.

They cause problems for the native crayfish population because they are bigger stronger and more aggressive, and also carry a disease that kills our natives

 

[woodstock]

Also this page from the Environment Agency Website: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/fish/246986/342184/1205879/1206007/
is unequivocal. Trust me, consent is required.

Does that still apply to privately owned stretches of water

 

[MattW]

Yup - consents like these apply to any water, private or not.

Matt

 

[Toadflax]

Well, I'm making progress, but there are still hurdles to cross.

As far as the Environment Agency goes, the procedure doesn't appear too difficult if you live in an area where there are significant feral populations of signal crayfish. The National Fisheries Laboratory (01480 483968) will send you a crayfish trapping advice pack, with forms, leaflets, etc.

I have emailed them and you can typically apply for a license to run for a year, and specify the waters or lengths of river where you want to trap. In infested areas it seems that you can transport them home without a license, but you should kill and eat them as soon as possible - and certainly not release them again.

The next hurdle is getting permission from the owner of the water. Where I live, an old statute grants free fishing to residents within the town waters, but you have to get permission from the town council to catch crayfish. When I rang them, they told me that they already have a couple of people operating commercially so they would 'put me on file', but that I could write in. I told them that I wanted to only operate one or two traps so I wouldn't have any significant impact on any commercial operations, but I'm waiting to hear from them. However, I bet that there are loads of youngsters (and probably adults) who are just taking crayfish without permission. It's a shame in some ways that I feel that I should follow the rules. All I want to do is drop a single trap down near where I go fishing, and pick it up (hopefully full of crayfish!) when I go home.

I'm now trying to find out who owns the fishing rights on the river just out of town to see if I can use their waters.

I'll keep you posted.


Geoff

 

[idlefellow]

How do you find out where the feral crayfish populations are in your local area?

Tried Google but no luck.

Cheers

IF

 

[idlefellow]

Duh, just found it on this site:

http://www.searchnbn.net/gridMap/gridMap.jsp?allDs=1&srchSpKey=NHMSYS0000377494

IF

 

[Goose]

Duh, just found it on this site:

http://www.searchnbn.net/gridMap/gridMap.jsp?allDs=1&srchSpKey=NHMSYS0000377494

IF

We are in the cheshire that has a remarkable absence of crayfish!

 

[Silver Surfer]

We are in the cheshire that has a remarkable absence of crayfish!

Pop down to the local fish shop buy yourself a lobster and pretend...mmmm, a lot more meat too

 

[ady05]

the best thing to do is contact your local environment agency who are usualy helpfull in letting you know the location of signals in your area then claim your info pack fill out the fr2 form along with grid references and land owner/angling club contact details and number of traps you wish to use if everything goes well you will recieve a consent form (usually 6 months for the first year) consent to use fishing instruments (other than rod and line) and/or remove fish from inland waters (only what is stated on consent form) along with tags that need to be placed on traps. at the end of each term you need to send in a catch report with details of anything and everything that appears in your traps (if using them ) then repeat the process each year

hope this helps

 

[pierre girard]

After reading all these posts I'd have to say the whole thing sounds nonsensical. You have a species that is damaging native species. Presumably the gov't wants to get rid of that species, but they make the taking of said species so tough anyone in their right mind would have a hard time following the law. Typical gov't BS.

 

[Toadflax]

After reading all these posts I'd have to say the whole thing sounds nonsensical. You have a species that is damaging native species. Presumably the gov't wants to get rid of that species, but they make the taking of said species so tough anyone in their right mind would have a hard time following the law. Typical gov't BS.

Absolutely. I suspect that the aims of the regulations are well meant: preventing people from taking the endangered native species and controlling the spread of the 'invaders', but the implementation does appear to be very heavy handed. And the risks of not complying are significant - fines could run to several thousand pounds.

According to a local press article (though I take what the press say with a bucketful of salt) the Environment Agency are powerless to stop drunken parties on riverboats from spoiling the enjoyment of the rivers by law-abiding citizens, yet they can make it very difficult for someone who wants to try and provide some natural food for his family by taking a pest species.

There must be some logic somewhere...mustn't there?


Geoff

 

[MattW]

Bear in mind that a lot of the current problem stems from idiots spreading juvenile signals, viruses harmful to natives and taking natives either deliberately or by mistake. Some, even deliberately translocate signals into waters previously free of them so that they can catch them! Many people also can't confidently identify signals (certainly not juveniles) and some don't care - a crayfish is a crayfish if they're out to catch a few.

Unfortunately, the 'rules' are there for a reason - having lived with an EA ecologist for 15 years, you wouldn't believe some of the things people do.

Finally, can we get a little perspective here - I'm flippin' glad that Cheshire is largely free from signal Crayfish - they are an invasive species, not a food crop for all to enjoy! It's like saying "it's a pity there isn't more Himalayan Balsam around here - I like it".

Matt