Trapping or Fishing Crayfish

[nickdutch]

From The Environment Agency's email to me:

Dear Nick,

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the trapping of crayfish.

In order to trap crayfish in a certain water, you will need permission from ourselves to use the traps, and permission from whoever owns the fishing rights for those waters.

The use of traps to catch crayfish in the North of England & Wales (unless for scientific research, conservation, or fishery management) will normally be refused for the following reasons:

· there is an increased risk of spreading crayfish plague and other fish diseases

· there is an increased risk of catching and harming native crayfish species.

The use of traps in southern England to catch crayfish for personal consumption or as a business enterprise is more likely to be approved. However, we would not usually approve the trapping of non-native crayfish in areas where there is a high risk of the native white-clawed crayfish getting caught.

A CR1 application form must be completed if you want to apply for a crayfish trapping licence.

We have produced a detailed guide to crayfish trapping called 'Using the right trap - a guide to crayfish trapping' which gives all the information an applicant needs. This includes:

· how to apply for a licence to trap non-native crayfish

· the CR1 application form

· how to complete the CR1 application form

· how to complete the catch return form

· an identification guide to the different crayfish types

· a list of crayfish trap suppliers

· advice for preventing the spread of crayfish plague.

This guide can be ordered for free from our publications catalogue. The product code is GEHO0310BRVF-E-P for the printed version.

Please follow the link below to view our publications catalogue:

http://publications.environment-agency. ... nt?lang=_e

This guide is also available as a PDF version which can be downloaded from our publications catalogue. The PDF version doesn’t include the CR1 application form. The product codes for the PDF versions are:

· GEHO0310BRVF-E-E - PDF English version

· GEHO0310BRVG-B-E - PDF bilingual version.

The CR1 application form, crayfish trapping byelaws and a copy of 'Using the right trap - a guide to crayfish trapping' can also be downloaded from the Aquatic animal health and movements website at the following link:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/aahm/

I trust this information is useful. Please let us know if we can help further.

Kind regards,


Internet: www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EnvAgency

[Rosesandtea]

Interesting, thanks for that. Whilst camping up in the north of our county a couple of years ago we met some people who had crawdad (my regional name for them!) traps in the river. They had caught a fair few.

I don't know what the problem is about catching the native ones, you can always just throw them back.

Bacon tied to a string, or a chicken neck tied on, are supposedly good ways to catch them with no nets.

[diamond lil]

Yeugh, there is no way I'd eat things with all those legs and antennae !!

[bulldogeagle]

Yeugh, there is no way I'd eat things with all those legs and antennae !!

it's just like a small lobster!

[diamond lil]

I know YEUGH!

[itsybitsy]

I know YEUGH!

Don't like fish then?

[the-gnole]

Lobsters and crayfish are crustaceans like crabs and not fish at all.

I think the problem with removing and then returning is down to spreading diseases as much as anything else.

[diamond lil]

Fish is ok in its place. Which is firmly inside an inch of batter beside a pile of chips in a sheet of newspaper!

[itsybitsy]

Fish is ok in its place. Which is firmly inside an inch of batter beside a pile of chips in a sheet of newspaper!

yes, it's good like that too. But I love lobster. Grilled with lots of garlic.

[nickdutch]

I am sure if its easy to catch and its food, you ain't gonna argue what it looks like.
There is more talk on the news about a 1930s style depression if the PTB don't get the Europe situation sorted out.
They haven't done it yet.
I am concerned about this coming summer so that is why I am preparing for the worst.