Invasive species

[Mr Hinks 10]

Angling Trust reports that the Gulf wedge clam has been found in numbers in Lincolnshires South Forty Foot drain. Indigenous to Mexico it can survive in fresh or brackish waters.

It's estimated the conical shaped shells have been there for around 5 years, probably they were transported in water used for ships ballast.

It's not known what if any problems it could cause.

Anglers are asked to check nets so as not to transfer them further.

[charliewag 19]

I remember some years ago concerns were raised when Chinese mitten crabs and zebra mussels were found in our waterways.Have these been eradicated as no mention has been made of them for a while?

As for the forty foot,does anyone still fish it? A friend and myself had a pike session at hubberts bridge a couple of years ago and a passer by told us the only anglers that fished there were east Europeans and they'd taken most of the fish even though there were notices on the bank in various languages stating it was illegal to do so.

[Mr Hinks 10]

I don't think Mitten crabs have been wiped out and the Zebras are in the Irish waterways.

I used to have a caravan on the East coast and fished either the Sibsey Trader or the Forty Foot weekly from June to October, hardly saw a soul then mid week and the fishing then was sound.

Europeans know the rules and some of them (not all) choose to ignore the law.

Those that do break the law certainly don't do fishermen or the environment any favours.

 

---------- Post added 13-11-2015 at 13:56 ----------

 

I remember some years ago concerns were raised when Chinese mitten crabs and zebra mussels were found in our waterways.

 

A quick search shows that the Mitten crab is spreading at an estimated 10 kilometers a year. it also said the crabs have been here since 1935. that was astonishing to me as I though they arrived in the seventies.

Another finding was that no reliable control of Mitten crabs as yet has been found.

One fact that may interest anglers or anyone else for that matter is that the Mitten crab is considered a delicacy in Asia. Crabs in british waterways are considered cleaner than those found in Holland where they are bread for the table.

This may be a way to lower numbers as they will eat anything within reach and destroy the river banks by burrowing.

The Cambridge university has developed a so called biobullet that the Zebra and Quagga mussle eats then the mussle is desolve from the inside.

Edited November 13, 2015 by Mr Hinks

[charliewag 19]

Like yourself Mr Hinks, I wasn't aware mitten crabs had been present in our waterways for so long.

[Mr Hinks 10]

One fact I found charliewag, the earliest mention of mitten crabs in the river Don was 2008 at Barnby Dun. Caught by an angler and taken to Doncaster museum for identification.