Signal Crayfish - Releasing into the Wild is illegal

[PhilBriggs]

To all members, time for me to put my police WCO hat on.
Under UK and some European legislation it is totally illegal to release any non- native species into the wild and can carry penalties of up to £10,000 and 5 years imprisonment. Too many species have already been released into our countryside that are causing havoc to our native flora and forna.

With regards the signal crayfish, we have been trying to eradicate them from several river systems in Scotland. I am personally involved in the River Clyde project where we have been trying to eradicate these wee beasties for the last 10 years. The Scottish Executive is spending thousands of pounds per year to employ trappers in an attempt to eradicate these pests of which we doubt we ever will.
As well as carrying a fungus that kills our native cray fish they eat almost anything including fish eggs and important fish such as salmon par and trout. These critters have also been known to enter the nesting tunnels of birds such as king fishers and eat the young. They also do extensive damage to banking by digging long tunnels into the bank, which lead to a honeycome effect that eventually results in the banking collapsing at an alarming rate.
I have recently had to correspond with a national newspaper that published an article in one of its glossy magazines for a recipe using signal cray fish and encouraging folk to go out with a dead sheep head and trap the animals for the pot This newspaper sent an apology to me but passed the book onto their publishers, who in turn passed it on to the writer etc etc.. Unless you are licensed this is totally against the law. These wee beasties can live out of the water for a long time and there eggs which can number in there thousands form each female are extremely resilient and can last for days away from water.
I have recently had a case up here where a male was breaking into the traps and taking the cray fish away to eat himself and also for a wee side line to the local hotel.
When I searched his house he had several in his bath tub and his children were playing with them with their action figures !!!
Funny I know, but it could have had very serious consequences.
To all members
1) DO NOT release any non-native species into the wild
2) DO NOT remove cray fish from any river or pond system. Even if you think you are doing good or intend eating them straight away, you could get in serious trouble.
3) DO report any sightings to either DEFRA in England and Wales or SNH in Scotland.


Phil