please dont listen to anything the EA say about crayfish they no even less about them than fish. there is an arbitrary line north and south of the Humber that they refuse to budge on regarding where you can get a licence to catch crayfish. there info on size id false old and inaccurate data that they use to try and defend they wont issues licences because essential they are free and there is no revenue from them. the essential reason is also to do with mis identification of the species between native and non native and and also it is in there eye a deterrent from selling the signals to a ready made market and stopping further spread through unauthorised stocking which is how these creatures are virtually everywhere now! people thinking its a good idea to put these creatures anywhere so they can harvest them the feckin ejits. the EA;s stance despite been proved negative in the north of England is little short of obstructive and obstinate, despite repeated call by many including DEFRA they refused to change their stance on trapping and licences meanwhile people just carry on dumping them every where much to the detriment of the environment because you cant do anything about. we showed them on Blagdon estate river Blyth what limited trapping could do if carried out correctly and systematically removing all life stages from small to large and sold handsomely profits going directly back into river management. their crayfish 'expert' didnt take being upstaged to well and put the blocker on further licenced removal and the EA refused to listen to any pressure from Lord Ridley and DEFRA ministers. their entire stance on crayfish is backwards and has created havoc in those practitioners trying to do something about them their stance locally is there is nothing we can do.
not related but noted an earlier post referring to otters being introduced to the rivers here, No otters have ever been introduced to any rivers north of south Yorkshire where a limited release of some rehabilitated animals was carried out in the late seventies early 80's. no further reintroductions have taken place since then and especially up here. every otter here got here by itself from the early 90s onward nobody put them here, there has been a steady increase in spread on the wear following further increases naturally further north and subsequently south. ill get my coat
