Crayfish on the Waveney.

[Guest]

I've just applied to the EA for my crayfishing licence, as I intend to throw a few nets in whilst fishing, and wondered if any of you already has their licence and fish for the tasty little immigrants.

I believe that the Waveney still has an unhealthy population of both signal and turkish crays.

[Guest]

i did try but the EA wouldn't have it they wont give anybody a license & wont train or teach people so how do they expect you to get one

Jonny

[MY littleboat]

Umm I'm not sure if this is a wind up or not. There are enough problems with nets and cray fish traps on the waveney - especially downstream of Somerleyton Bridge, as well one or two people on here know too well Anymore and I'm sure that the problems associated will just compound the damage done. It's enough of a problem that there are a rising number of anglers that fail to raise their lines from the water when vessels pass, but unattended pots and nets is very unwelcome!

[Guest]

i did try but the EA wouldn't have it they wont give anybody a license & wont train or teach people so how do they expect you to get one

Jonny

I guess that would save me the expense of nets.

Umm I'm not sure if this is a wind up or not. There are enough problems with nets and cray fish traps on the waveney - especially downstream of Somerleyton Bridge, as well one or two people on here know too well Anymore and I'm sure that the problems associated will just compound the damage done. It's enough of a problem that there are a rising number of anglers that fail to raise their lines from the water when vessels pass, but unattended pots and nets is very unwelcome!

No wind up, I was unaware of any problems caused by the responsible use of pots, surely you are refering to the irresponsible use of pots. As with the anglers, a few certainly tar the reputation of many.

BB

[MY littleboat]

It isn't an issue about responsible / irrisponsible but more to do with the depth of the river, as the whole river is used for navigation in the Broads area, sometimes there is very very little water under the props at low water and it has been said that pots/traps move as the riverbed is constantly moving with the current (loose silt)

[Guest]

It isn't an issue about responsible / irrisponsible but more to do with the depth of the river, as the whole river is used for navigation in the Broads area, sometimes there is very very little water under the props at low water and it has been said that pots/traps move as the riverbed is constantly moving with the current (loose silt)

I can see where you are coming from, but I would only be using the pots when moored fishing. The pots would be secured to the boat, so as such would be no different to a mudweight. The trouble is you still need a licence ( which according to Jonny, I probably wouldn't get, and I have no intention of fishing illegally). I have no intention of using the pots in the classic way of danning them off and returning to see what they hold later. The trouble is that I find the little critters delicious, and just want to boost my own intake of crays. I can see that my first post was misleading in the "throw a few nets in" sense, as only two would be used at any one time, secured for and aft. The pots required by the EA to be otter and vole friendly are expensive for what they are, and the risk of catching a dan line in someones prop to great to leave pots unattended in the navigable areas.

BB

[G&A]

Good luck, hope you do get your licence, and enjoy!! Im rather partial to a crayfish salad myself!!

[MY littleboat]

In that case you peobably have nothing to lose by applying!

[Guest]

I recieved my answer from the EA. Refusal on the grounds that apparently they are protecting our native crays, and big crays eat little crays. It seems like a bit of a postcode lottery as there are our native species in the Wensum, but not in the Waveney, as far as I am aware, from government surveys. But hey ho, there you go.