Signal Crayfish

[tamesoldier]

I've just had a load of signal crays and when i was extracting the meat, i found a lot of them had something very long and stringy( white) in the head part. I don't know if this is an organ or a worm.

Can anybody shed any light

Appretiated

Tamesoldier

[Jamieb]

Hi guys, I'm a newbie here...

My son and I regularly trap signals in Northamptonshire, they are an absolute menace. In the 2 years that we have been trapping we have seen a massive depletion in both flora and fauna around the river banks where we trap the little blighters. In response to all the people who talk about species identification i would say this, once you see Signals you will not....and i repeat (in capitals to make it clearer) WILL NOT see any indegenous crays. I have no licence to trap ( i run a string of 10 pots left in the river for 24 hours at a time) but I have the blessings of the local landowner, who as a keen fisherman has seen a massive drop in the amount of fish caught by the anglers.
Signals are killing our waterways, we need to kill the signals......

[lunny]

Hi im living in kettering Northamton, Can anyone tell me, is there anywhere near this area to catch crawfish. I am from Ireland so I dont no the area that well.
cheers.

[clackdish]

anyone know of any spots around the middlesbrough/cleveland area, am applying for a licence from the EA

[Picidae]

Originally Posted by notbrazil

Maybe I need a license to do this but who cares? There were literally hundreds upon hundreds.

I think there are by-laws in place governing crayfish fishing to protect white claws (since 2005 you need a licence to trap non-natives). However, this only applies to 'trapping' and 'removing' - As regards advocating other ways of removing non native crayfish, my concern would be people may not be able to identify them properly and we'll have lots of 'good-minded' individuals removing any crayfish they see from the river beds thinking they are helping the environment. Traps also trap non target species so guess this is why you'd need the regulating licence.

http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk/forms...needtoknow.pdf

http://www.efishbusiness.co.uk/forms...needtoknow.pdf

Did anyone see that cookery programme a few days ago, only caught the tail end of it on someone else's TV so don't know who it was/what channel - the guy was taking Signal fish and cooking them - he actually said you 'need a licence' - he was using a trap.

Oh .. this was the recipe and the same guy (using Signals he caught in a pot)
.. he got the hazlenuts from a tree while he was out!
BBC - Food - Recipes: Crayfish with hazelnut and pastis butter

[lunny]

do you know how to get the licsence and how much it costs.
cheers.

[Jenny W]

Originally Posted by lunny

do you know how to get the licsence and how much it costs.
cheers.

Hi lunny,

I'm pretty sure you get it from the Environment Agency and I think they are free. I read somewhere that Signal's are sort of classed as 'fish' and therefore come under 'fishing' rules and regulations so the licence is just like a normal rod licence you would get if you were fishing. I could be wrong there though and as Picidae says it's important that trappers can tell the difference between our natives and Signal's so this could be the reason behind the licences.

I think you would also be restricted on the size of trap you can use if there are Otters present in the area you are trapping - not sure of the details of that though.

Contact the EA though, they will be able to answer all your questions.

[FungiJus]

Hi All,

There has been loads written on this thread already and all the answers are here if you look back (note that you don't have to look too far back to find the sound advice from Picidae with links to the EA etc ).

Anyway - I have been trapping for a couple of years now, having received my EA licence and have taken a couple of hundred signals out of the Ouzel in Milton Keynes (not enough to make any real impact on numbers I'm afraid).

Good reasons for applying for a license are:

• The EA can check the area you are planning to set traps for reported water vole populations (they are prone to being trapped as by-catch).
• They also receive data (from license holders as part of the trapping agreement) of numbers caught and locations.
• There is an information pack that comes with the licence with a laminated guide to all the species of crayfish that are found in British waters (not all native of course).
• The information also includes details of the bye-laws regulating the size of trap and crucially the size of aperture to the net used - thus ensuring that responsible trappers are not in danger of catching (and drowing) otters - how bad would you feel if this happened? I have seen a photo of a dead otter in a trap exactly the same as the one I use - difference is that I have an otter guard of the requisite dimensions on each end.
• The EA know where reports of native (protected) crayfish still are - locations getting fewer and farther between I'm afraid - and will advise if they need to refuse a license based on this localised population.
• The information sent even includes advice on how to catch the signals!

My advice would be to get the forms, give the EA a ring if needs be and take advice from them. I did and I had no problems with the application.

Best of luck.
J.

P.S. - I don't work for the EA!

[blight]

hello everyone im after some advice, where is the best place to go trapping signal crays for consumption within the wiltshire berkshire area, i am in the long winded process of applying for a licence and need to get permission from land owners. any help would be greatly recieved.

[Frankie-prawn]

Originally Posted by Jamieb

Hi guys, I'm a newbie here...

My son and I regularly trap signals in Northamptonshire, they are an absolute menace. In the 2 years that we have been trapping we have seen a massive depletion in both flora and fauna around the river banks where we trap the little blighters. In response to all the people who talk about species identification i would say this, once you see Signals you will not....and i repeat (in capitals to make it clearer) WILL NOT see any indegenous crays. I have no licence to trap ( i run a string of 10 pots left in the river for 24 hours at a time) but I have the blessings of the local landowner, who as a keen fisherman has seen a massive drop in the amount of fish caught by the anglers.
Signals are killing our waterways, we need to kill the signals......

I agree with most things you say, ie Signal Crayfish do lots of damage to fish stocks, bank sides, and our native white claw Crayfish, I have been a commercial eel fisherman for many years, I have also trapped Signal Crays for Angling clubs etc. The EA should and do allow trapping in a lot of areas and especially your area Northants, therefore licences would be given to you on application and cost NOTHING A few years ago I was on the river emptying my traps when I was called to the bank by EA Bailiffs,(I was in my boat) there were 4 of them and an Alsation Dog, also one in a boat in case I did a runner, I had £2000 worth of Fykes seized also they were taking me to Court because my licence tags were not on the nets, so I was also looking at a large fine, I felt sick, Luckily I did have licences but due to nets going missing I wasn't attaching them, after months of wrangling with the EA they dropped the case and returned all my gear, other people I know have been fined thousands and lost there gear even vehicles have been seized, I promise you some do gooder will see you and report you, next thing they will be there when you are pulling up your traps, and if you are putting strings of 10 out they will (Right or Wrong) assume you are doing it for financial gain, Jamie dont leave it to chance mate get licences as I say they are FREE I just ask for 100 and get them, so there is no problem, also hopefully others will follow suit, If enough apply for licences hopefully the EA will make it legal to catch Signals without any burocracy or daft Rules

In everyone elses interest some areas are classed as red zones and you will not get licences as they still have populations of our white claw Crayfish, the EA will give you all the information maps etc. in the Cray fish pack,

Regards Frankie1