American Signal Crayfish

GrahamM

GrahamM

Managing Editor
Joined
Feb 23, 1999
Messages
9,773
Reaction score
1
Another eye-opening article from Kevin on the American Red Signal Crayfish threat. But I do wonder just how seriously we are taking this threat. If we Judge by how 'seriously' the Lords took it then I reckon we're in for trouble.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

Guest
It's amazing that rivers such as the Windrush, Kennet, Cherwell, Thame and several others all have crays and yet there doesn't seem to be any in the Thames itself.

Oooops, have I spoken too soon?

Catch a cray and tread on it, but you're only scratching the surface. You can't rust anglers to take them home, because there will be those who just fancy giving one a go as bait. Even if you don't release it into the wild it could (being a hen cray) be laying eggs all over your fishery.

Even if you were to eradicate them to a point when you were no longer pestered by them, they would still continue breeding and come back. There will always be some left.
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
Graham, the only people who take it seriously are fishermen and they are literally unable to do anything about it because its illegal to do so. Government ministers, as usual, are totally inept when it comes to foreseeing a disaster and won't act until its too late
 
R

Ron Troversial Clay

Guest
The only thing I can advise is to catch 'em and boil 'em, in large numbers.

What most do not understand is that these islands cannot tolerate invading species much more. And that goes for all forms of animal life.
 
F

Fred Bonney

Guest
Keep your fingers crossed John,because if they turn up in your lovely rivers,they'll cause you know end of grief.
 
R

Ron C

New member
Joined
Dec 6, 2003
Messages
0
Reaction score
0
The Thames section that runs pass Oxford Town has its fair share of them crays.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

Guest
I did speak too soon. I heard tonight that there are lots of crays around Medley on the Thames as well.
 
Peter Jacobs

Peter Jacobs

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2001
Messages
31,033
Reaction score
12,210
Location
In God's County: Wiltshire
Graham,

I imagine that any serious angler will take this potential threat to our fisheries seriously. The only problme I foresee is that we (collectively) will temper this with our usual complacency based (incorrectly) on the premise that either the EA, the larger Angling Associations or (even more incorrectly) that the government will do something about this problem.

I am as guilty as most when it comes to not being prepared to actively involve myself in these, and similar, issues.

Like JP I have not seen any in the chalk streams that I fish, although I have witnessed the catching of a few at a CAC lake last season in Hampshire.

Until, and unless, the angling public have a strong and credible voice that the government cannot ignore, then absolutely nothing is (or will) be done about the Signal Crayfish problem.

Given the absence of such a credible voice, then maybe the Angling Press could organise at least a petition for their readership to sign and send to the Parliament.
I do not believe that it is too much to ask of these publishing houses given the profits that they makle from the ordinary angler.

Or, is it?
 
GrahamM

GrahamM

Managing Editor
Joined
Feb 23, 1999
Messages
9,773
Reaction score
1
They are only in one water of those I fish with any regularity and that's a trout water where the owner traps them commercially. There are none (that I've seen or heard of) in any of the rivers I fish. Which isn't to say that I don't treat the threat seriously, just that there will be thousands of anglers in my area that don't even realise that there is a problem.

If anyone ran a poll I should think the reaction from the majority would be - 'What crayfish? Never seen one.'
 
Graham Whatmore

Graham Whatmore

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2003
Messages
9,147
Reaction score
9
Location
Lydney, in the Forest of Dean
Not being a naturalist or whatever my solutions are simplitic like most fishermens, remove them. It matters not a toss that its illegal, its quite simple (I'm told) to catch a few every day and accidently tread on them. Promote them as healthy eating to the immigrants and let them catch them as well. The authorities wouldn't dare try to stop them thats for sure.

I'm retired now and that awful scenario of no fish in the rivers probably wouldn't happen in what length of time I've got left but I would hate to think I was leaving a legacy like that for future generations of fishermen. It makes me shudder just to think of it
 
G

Gary Knowles 2

Guest
Persoanlly (and I hope I'm wrong), I think it's too late.

They will spread naturally, and unnaturally (intruduced by misguided anglers) into all river systems in the UK...it may take some time but I'm sure it will happen.

What chance of the government or EA doing something radical to exterminate them......no chance !

There are a few legacys that our generation will leave that make me shudder. No Rudd left, crucians gone through habitat destruction and cross hybridising, carp throughout every river systems, dace a rarity, water fowl slaughtered by released mink...the list is endless I'm afraid.
 
J

jason fisher

Guest
i don't know where you got this notion that there's no crays in the thames jeff.
it's full of em all the way through oxford down to about goring possibly even reading.
the one stretch that they weren.t in was my stretch that i usually fish.
but having had one on a sardine last winter i've got a funny feeling they might just be in there too.
just because you don't have em at marlow yet.
the one thing is marlow should get a dose of crabs before oxford if either of them gets them.
 
J

jason fisher

Guest
there's crays in that bit you went to look at on sunday as well.
 
J

john conway

Guest
May be the Cray fish population will stabilise when their numbers become large enough to collect commercially, unlike the mink and the cormorant they are an accepted delicacy.
Yes the demise of certain fish species in the British Isles is unfortunate to say the least, but as a young lad growing up in industrial Lancashire I can remember when there were NO FISH AT all in many of our rivers and canals.
Doing nothing has never been an option, but things staying the same has neither been an option, it’s just that with human interference and global warming etc things are going to change very fast. Some how we have to slow this down to enable us to adapt and get use to the inevitable changes.
 
W

Wolfman Woody

Guest
Sorry Jason, you are right. We just don't see them at Marlow and downstream.

I don't get crabs, but one or two have been spotted at Windsor so they are coming up here. Perhaps they'll kill each other off, you never know.

John, on the Thame (not the Thames, Thame + Isis = Thames) it is thick with the little gits. Yet not many people set traps for them. As far as I know it's illegal to remove them (away from the fishery) and it's illegal to put them into the water. So if you catch one leave it on the land and if you should accidentally stand on it that would be a shame. :eek:)
 
N

Nick Austin 2

Guest
I dont think the crays cause a problem from goring through reading, as far as i know, i fish several stretches and havn't been aware of their presence?...

Our club has very strict rules about transfering / removing / disposing of / crays... it's a bit of a stale mate really....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top