crayfish

[Dipper]

Duh!

Sorry about the last post, I have just realised I gave incomplete advice [guess I shouldn't surf when I'm supposed to be working]. If you can easily see a whitish blotch on each claw [this is the source of their common name], actually on the joint of the claws, then the species you are looking at is likely to be a Signal crayfish. However, as nature can have so many variables, it is always prudent to have an expert confirm any identification.

It is important to report any crayfish sightings to English Nature, the Environment Agency or the local Wildlife Trust, preferably all three to be sure.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by PhilBriggs

Even though folks may think there doing good by removing the cray fish, it should only be done by licensed professionals who are trained in the correct way of disposing of the wee critters and also how to prevent further spread.

Even the bushcraft forums/web sites are encouraging folk to break the law and remove the cray fish for eating, a wee bit of education needed there I think!!

Phil I am still not clear on what the problem is with removing them to eat, if the only objection is that it takes a trained proffesional to know the "correct way of dispossing of them" the bushcraft folks are eating them, I would have said that this was a pretty full proof method of disposal.

Also could you clarify which law people who remove them to eat are breaking, as if the signal krays arent protected, and the eaters have permission from the landowner, It is hard to see how their activities can be illegal.

[Paul V]

Originally Posted by 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..........................
Phil

Phil, we run a crayfish forum that we have very many discussions about the buying and selling and trapping of crayfish in the UK. Many people come along and ignor our warnings on them as they just dont seem to care about the displacement of local species and the spread of the plague. The even go so far as to sell them on ebay and say they are whiteclawed crayfish when in fact the image they show are signal crayfish....

Drives me nuts as I have to keep hammering some members and no matter where we send them for information and regulations regarding this issue they just ignore it.

Is there a chance that you or several of you could come over and explain some key points on topic to our members?

cheers
Paul V

[Paul V]

Originally Posted by eeyore

Phil I am still not clear on what the problem is with removing them to eat, if the only objection is that it takes a trained proffesional to know the "correct way of dispossing of them" the bushcraft folks are eating them, I would have said that this was a pretty full proof method of disposal.

Also could you clarify which law people who remove them to eat are breaking, as if the signal krays arent protected, and the eaters have permission from the landowner, It is hard to see how their activities can be illegal.

I believe it is more of a "are you actually killing them?". Remeber there are many people that will bend the law to suit them. So you have people saying "yes I am taking these signal crayfish to eat", when in fact they are taking them to sell in the aquarium trade.

So where to draw the line and how to manage it? Take the control from the people themselves, so that it makes it law not to take them at all. The legislation does state that you can not take a signal crayfish alive from the place that you caught it. However, it then contradicts itself and permits the farming of the crayfish in "escape proof containers" in certain areas listed by DEFRA. Again this law can be "bent" to suit the person and we have seen would be "16 year old farmers" say they have plans to farm the creatures in ponds....

[Airehead]

Odds on getting away can not be judged as negligable. (any more than quarantined illegal human immigrants)
Do us a favour and boil them.

[derekmc]

Phil -

You obviously know a lot more about Signals than I do. We've noticed a decline in the number of large Odonata (dragonflies and demoiselles) along the Kennet and Avon over the last few years, and it's crossed my mind that this might be something to be with the influx of Signal Crayfish into our local water. Do Signal Crayfish eat dragonfly larvae?

Derek

[nightshade]

Crayfish generally scavange but they will take anything on offer so it is likely your dragonflys
are on the menu

[conkers]

Originally Posted by Fourwings

I echo everyone else's comments.

I'm affraid that those two nasty little monsters have gone walkabouts in search of better waters, to be honset you'd have been far better off putting them in the pot and eating them.

American Signal crayfish will decimate a water course once they enter it, they will destroy the native crayfish and unbalance the entire ecosystem within that body of water.
They entered our local stream 8 years ago and ruined it completely, no native crayfish,and hardly any fish left as the signals also wreak havoc with the invertebrate life.
They also do untold damage to the banks by burrowing deep into them causing them to collapse or become far more vulnerable to errosion.

Hi i would like to go crayfish fishing with my daughter. do you mind telling me where abouts they can be found. i would be most grateful!