Crayfish........ press release

sedgeking · #1 (**permalink**) 03-02-2010, 10:38 PM

Hi guys

Just recieved a press release from EA that might be informative to some

Quote:

Budding cooks in the North East have been urged to stay clear of freshwater crayfish to reduce the threat to the region’s precious native populations.

The River Wansbeck has one of the last strongholds of native white-clawed crayfish in England, but the invasive American signal crayfish is now in rivers both north and south of the Wansbeck - surrounding the native species in a pincer movement.

Signal crayfish have been in the River Blyth for some time but now Environment Agency staff have also found them in the Coquet, and are appealing to people to help them halt the invasion – by leaving them alone.

Biodiversity officer Anne Lewis said increasing numbers of people are ringing for permission to trap signals so they can eat them. However, in the North East Defra has a ban on trapping crayfish to protect the vulnerable native population. Only a few requests are granted each year in the North East for research purposes.

She said: “Over the last couple of years there has been considerable interest in trapping crayfish for the pot, with celebrity chefs promoting the trapping of crayfish in the wild and using them in dishes.

“I know it seems tempting, but please don’t collect crayfish. People think that taking adult signals will help reduce the population, but it doesn’t work like that. Signals are cannibals which eat their own young. If you trap the adults then there are fewer predators to cull the next generation. Without plenty of adults to control numbers, there can be a population explosion which can spread to new parts of the river. In the North East we still have native populations which are holding out against the invasion, and we want to keep it that way.”

American signal crayfish first arrived in the UK’s rivers in the 1970s after escaping from fish farms. They quickly wiped out the white-clawed crayfish from rivers they invaded by out-competing them, and because they carry a fungal disease which is deadly to the native population.

Although it is legal to catch crayfish with a licence in other parts of the country, Anne warned that the law requires that most requests for a licence in the North East are rejected to protect vulnerable native crayfish populations.

The team, based in Newcastle, say that catching signal crayfish in the region could lead to the disease spreading via the trapping equipment, and there could also be the danger that some people may catch the native species by mistake.

A new byelaw for trapping crayfish in England and Wales came into force in 2005, which restricted the accidental or deliberate movement of alien crayfish and 'crayfish plague', whilst still allowing the legitimate trapping of the crustaceans in some postcode areas. None of these are in the north of England.

warrenslaney · #2 (**permalink**) 12-02-2010, 06:39 PM

Actually ASC arrived in the late 1970's and were stocked throughout the country with the full permission and understanding of the then MAFF.

mr blobbie · #3 (**permalink**) 12-02-2010, 07:27 PM

Its against the law to introduce any alien species into any Scottish rivers but they appear to be on the march north. A couple of ponds near us were poisoned to try and kill them out but this did not kill them all as they borrow into the banks. There was a program on Landward last week about the British crayfish and they are now successfully breading them and reintroducing them into water where there are no ASC.

mr blobbie · #4 (**permalink**) 12-02-2010, 07:40 PM

I said it was on Landward sorry it was countryfile last Sunday you will get on bbc i player

warrenslaney · #5 (**permalink**) 13-02-2010, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr blobbie

There was a program on Landward last week about the British crayfish and they are now successfully breading them and reintroducing them into water where there are no ASC.

We've been doing that for the last 10 years.

Duncan · #6 (**permalink**) 14-02-2010, 09:25 PM

There was mention last week on Radio Sheffield for the appointment of a Crayfish Conservation Officer based in Sheffield/South Yorkshire.

dovemink · #7 (**permalink**) 16-02-2010, 09:21 AM

i think we just need to be realisitic about this,

native crayfish have had it in rivers, locally there is a program now in place to remove a number of individuals from healthy wild populations to place into biosecure still waters, The EA are receiving steer from to level to stop ploughing funding into crayfish conservation as they have pretty much had it, no amount of trapping or biocides will ever work, the only thing that can be hoped for is a biological control, which then if it can be perfected will no doubt be a threat to getting into the populations in the states where the signal crayfish is native

at least the EA are putting press releases out, but they dont seem to be enforcing the illegal trapping, at least not outside E anglian region

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