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?