Catch crayfish

[muddy boots]

i am going cray fishing as soon as this horrid weather clears up has any one got a good recipe for them i would like to use them in a starter for a wild food dinner party i am giving

[Green Aura]

Hi mb - I gave you your own thread for this. Hopefully more folks will see it and respond. Other than that I can't help, I'm afraid.

[gregorach]

Where are you? If you're in the UK, there are a number of legal considerations involved - the native White-clawed crayfish is protected, and the Signal crayfish is an invasive species. Precisely what restrictions apply vary according to location, so you should contact the Environment Agency (in England) or SEPA (in Scotland) for details.

[gdb]

Where are you? If you're in the UK, there are a number of legal considerations involved - the native White-clawed crayfish is protected, and the Signal crayfish is an invasive species. Precisely what restrictions apply vary according to location, so you should contact the Environment Agency (in England) or SEPA (in Scotland) for details.

Agree with that. I've just posted the same sort of advice on another thread....

[MKG]

And so have I.

Mike

[muddy boots]

thank you both for your advice i have got in touch with the fisheries officer for the midlands regarding catching them without a trap i am still waiting for a return call on this matter as no one seems to know i will post there reply if it will be of any use to others

[muddy boots]

thank you all once again you where right i do need a licence to take crayfish from a water even though i am not trapping them applied for one now so wont be a problem once it arrives

[oldjerry]

Don't forget,if you catch any:1)You must return the native species.

2)You must NOT return the signals(by law).

[Pumpkin&Piglet]

What are signals?

Is it either the male or female? How do you tell?

[oldjerry]

Signal crayfish are a non native species that are spreading rapidly through UK watercourses.They are bigger and more voracious than the native species.As such they are a menace,and the native species(which is apparently being seriously damaged through disease carried by the signals to which they have no resistance)is seriously threatened as are other native stream species.

Basically think Cane Toads in Aus and ,unless I've got it all wrong,that's about it.

[matowakan]

I wanted to catch crayfish until I found out all the legal stuff. Here in Dorset I was told by the powers that be that I would have to have he permission of the landowner and that once I had that and the EA had checked it out I could then apply for a licence.Needless to say I didnt bother!!
It seems a shame when there is such an invasion of the signal crayfish around here in the local rivers. I was also told that I would have to catch upwards of a 100 a day to make a differnece. This was a few years ago so maybe I will try again!