Red Signal Crayfish

[JoeyT]

I wonder if anyone could possibly help. Red Signal Crayfish are known to be invading our waterways to such an extent that our native White Clawed crayfish are dying out. I am very interested in using an approved Environment Agency trap with the appropriate license and trapping the invaders.

I have been having some problems in finding places that will allow me to catch them. There seems to be a lot of red tape to go through to even find somewhere to catch them let alone gain permission. Does anyone know why that is? Red Signals have invaded our waterways and endangered the native crayfish and all I want to do is go and catch some legally.

I know that care has to be taken as the native white clawed crayfish has to be put back with the red signal crayfish taken away. The trap used is EA approved and the chances of other wildlife being caught in it is slim.

So far I have been told that waterways maintained by British Waterways do not allow private people to catch crayfish and I can only use EA approved traps with the appropriate license. I have received conflicting information from both the EA and British Waterways and am beginning to wonder if there is a conspiracy between the two bodies.

The EA have given me a list of fisheries in my area that are believed to have a crayfish problem but about 80% of these places are members only and some of these have said that they do not have crayfish.

What has happened to the places where you could go and pay for a day ticket and fish to you're heart's content? Does anyone know of a place within a 30 mile radius of London that allows non-members to catch crayfish?

[greengrow]

Try the Windrush, Witney, Oxford, it's full of them.

[JoeyT]

Hi

Thanks for that - do you know who I need to contact to get permission to catch the little beggars? I need to stipulate an area where I am catching them before I am granted a crayfish trapping license.

JT