Hello xxxxxx I am sorry to hear you are having so much trouble with signal crayfish when angling.
Unfortunately, the crayfish are present in the Tees from Middleton in Teesdale all the way down to at least Stockton area.
Once a breading population is present in an area it is almost impossible to eradicate them and when they are in the numbers that are in the Tees, there is nothing that can be done short of killing everything off in the river and starting again. However, this has been tried in a river system in Scandinavia and a lake in Scotland but even this extreme method did not work as the crayfish returned after a short time.
Trapping may reduce he population size, but the Environment Agency do not allow trapping or any other form of removal to be used.
It is a frustrating situation and I wish there was something we could do about it, but unfortunately, at this moment in time there isn’t. My hope is that someone may come up with a targeted biological control at some point, but there is nothing on the horizon that I am aware of.
Not a response that you would be hoping for I know. All I can suggest is that you contact the E.A. in case they are involved with any research work that we do not know about.
Best regards,
Unfortunately, the crayfish are present in the Tees from Middleton in Teesdale all the way down to at least Stockton area.
Once a breading population is present in an area it is almost impossible to eradicate them and when they are in the numbers that are in the Tees, there is nothing that can be done short of killing everything off in the river and starting again. However, this has been tried in a river system in Scandinavia and a lake in Scotland but even this extreme method did not work as the crayfish returned after a short time.
Trapping may reduce he population size, but the Environment Agency do not allow trapping or any other form of removal to be used.
It is a frustrating situation and I wish there was something we could do about it, but unfortunately, at this moment in time there isn’t. My hope is that someone may come up with a targeted biological control at some point, but there is nothing on the horizon that I am aware of.
Not a response that you would be hoping for I know. All I can suggest is that you contact the E.A. in case they are involved with any research work that we do not know about.
Best regards,
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