Signal Crayfish

[karlpeg]

It seems you have to go to great lengths to get yourself a free dinner.
It would be a lot easier to sit on the high street pavement holding out an empty baked bean tin.
This seems to be the score if you want to trap crayfish without getting into trouble. .
If you want to take any crayfish home for your tea you have to inform the Environment Agency/National Fisheries. You need to tell them where (using OS grid reference).
They want to know when you will be doing this and how much you intend to take back home with you. . They want to know about the kit you will be using i.e. trap dimensions, opening entrance size and mesh size, otter guards.
Also you need to know the difference between our native white clawed crayfish and the American signal crayfish.
The form (FR2) seems to apply to any fish you intend on taking from the water. Once you have the ok they send you some tags to put on your trap to let the officials know you are doing it legally.

I think its all fair enough. A bit of luck going about it the legal way will put off an army of people doing more bad then good to our waterways.
These people are not out to throw obstacles in the way of our enjoyment. These are really helpful people who care about our environment.

I cant seem to find out if you need a fishing licence. I have bought one on-line just in case.

I ask myself if my postings are out of place on this web site. Should I be either posting messages on a fishing site or cookery site.
What I have learnt in the space of a few days is that the waterways have an infestation with something I thought lived in hot American waters. I have also learnt that we have an endangered species in our waters, (the white clawed crayfish).

So I thank Mr Ramsey for opening my eyes to a whole new world that’s just on my doorstep.

[Dan Salter]

I agree and im actually glad there is no easy way into it to deter ( which it wont i imagine) hoards of people jumping on the craywagon and catching the endangered white claw...
Im sure once you /me or anyone get their head round all the paperwork and rules its fairly straight forward but nicely controlled at the same time...im still going to persue this one...did they mention a licence from the environment agency as apposed to a normal fishing licence ( ramsey mentioned one?)

I had a look at the traps on ebay they seemed a bit lame compared to the ones on "www.alanaecology.com"....i would probably ask advice from the E agency on the best /safest/most environmentally correct traps/nets?

Mind you....im saying all this and still have not found out if there are actually any signals in any of the water local to me?

[carlj]

Anyone watch 3 men in a boat last night? Griff Rhys Jones cooked the nasty lil blighters, Rory and Darla tasted them - their faces were a picture!

[Dan Salter]

oh i missed that...a picture in a bad way then? i put that more down to griffs cooking as gordon and family loved them...and i imagine they are similar to lobster/prawn and languistine which are all amazingly nice

[karlpeg]

I guess the information pack they send you should have everything in it.
I have one on the way so I will post any new information I get...

The trap also came today and it looks like a square landing net..

There seems to be a big problem up and down the waterways with the signal so you should be able to catch some where ever you live...

[Dan Salter]

My plan is to wait until you have done some trapping and if you havent been shot, arrested, drowned, fined or infected with the plague...then ill give it a try ha ha

[karlpeg]

If I do catch any I need to know how to kill them without boiling them to death.
Also there is the question of getting rid of that sandy grit taste.
I read somewhere you have to purge them with fresh water for three weeks.
Too long to wait if you ask me.

[notbrazil]

What's wrong with boiling them alive? That would be the preferred way otherwise freeze while still alive. Purging them is not necessary. You'll need about 10 of them for a decent salad (great on a Thai salad) as the meat is only in the tail. All the rest can be used for an excellent stock for a good fish soup.

[bluebirdnips]

been speaking to a fisheries bod today given some good advice and a few places that trapping should be ok, (albeit out of my area). also seems in some areas the anglers would welcome the intervention of a bod on the bank trapping these invaders will check out the info given before sending you all off on a wild goose chase,
sounds like you have had a bellyfull of these critters already notbrazil, cant wait to enjoy them myself ( i mean eradicate the pest)
as for the purging process seems like a lot of potch as you have to boil the old water before returning it to the watersystems as not to relese spaws into the local waterways which happens to be a criminal offence.
keep watching

[TheBigSlick]

Hello Crayfish lovers

First time on this site. I was told today by the EA that it was against the law to trap signals in any area north of the midlands. Can anyone put me right on this matter, as I live in the north west area and I am feeling rather hungry. I have applied for consent, but if I cant trap locally whats the point.