It is an unknown problem for many people, but our ditches and rivers are full of crayfish. They are invasive exotic species that originally did not come from here.
Crayfish cut away water plants and drill small holes in dikes and banks, making them unstable. This reduces the quality of our waters. Because they have virtually no natural enemies and reproduce quickly, the red crayfish have become a real plague rather fast.
We now have an accurate picture of the origins of the crayfish infestation. But how do we get rid of them again and what consumption advice should the red crayfish be given on our VISwijzer?
Along with those questions, Good Fish and Wageningen Environmental Research kicked off this project. In collaboration with fishermen and water managements, we are looking for the best possible solution to make the plague manageable. And that’s not so easy, because both have different interests
Fishermen see the positive effects of catching crayfish. The more local crayfish consumers, the faster we can get the infestation under control
One conclusion we can draw is that the plague will not disappear by itself. The good news is that the solution is actually very simple. The best way to combat the plague is to eat the crayfish! Buy them from a local fisherman (and not in the supermarket), put them on the BBQ or make a traditional Crayfish Boil!
Buy crafish at your local fisherman. In the supermarket you will unfortunately likely not find any Dutch crayfish, but imported crayfish from abroad. This does not help our local freshwater ecosystems, nor the ecosystems over there, because in countries like China, the American crayfish is farmed instead of wild caught.