harvesting mitten crabs

[origamicrane]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4690988.stm

Just read this article about invading mitten crabs.

This is like that thing about invading american crayfish in UK rivers.

well i like crayfish and i like mitten crab

how do you go about harvesting stuff like crayfish and mitten crabs??

[fisherman]

you need a licence from the EA if you want to set traps for either animal in freshwater (which is certainly where signal crayfish are to be found)

if you fance having a go in your local river, PM me and i'll direct you to some sites.

[Jon Tseng]

Note that mitten crab is the same species as the famous Shanghai Hairy Crab.

I think this invasian is great news!

[origamicrane]

Note that mitten crab is the same species as the famous Shanghai Hairy Crab.

I think this invasian is great news!     

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thats why i want to go and harvest them!

they will make a killing in chinatown and we get the full backing of the environmentalist for saving their native crab species.

Fisherman thank you i will take you up on the offer

pm is in the post

anyone else interested in going crab fishing?

[dougal]

The law was in a mess over Crayfish. Has it been sorted yet? Fairly recently it was only in the Thames catchment that they had the authority to issue licenses...

There are other problems with the Signal Crayfish. They climb out of tanks and walk cross-country to infest new waterways, hence one needs a license to "keep" and transport them. But there's an exemption for many designated postcodes. And you don't actually need a license to 'keep' them if they are for your immediate consumption. But transporting them home for supper might still seem to need a license...

And isn't the use of a trap, or rather "a fixed engine", itself a problem on fresh water?

These 'mitten' crabs. Presumably they don't taste, cook or dismantle particularly differently to those we already enjoy - or do they? As river dwellers, do they need any special 'cleansing' treatment, the addition of extra salt, or what?

I'm guessing that no one has itemised them yet in any regulations, for keeping and transporting them, but what other paperwork and permissions would be needed for the chase?

And given their diet, just how fussy should one be about the water quality?

[origamicrane]

They actually ran a item on this on the 6pm news on bbc.

They are actually right now running test on the crabs to see if they are suitable for human consumption.

And the guy on the show said that if you head down to Isleworth at low tide you can see the crab burrows.

Just wait for the green light.

[Jon Tseng]

These 'mitten' crabs. Presumably they don't taste, cook or dismantle particularly differently to those we already enjoy - or do they? As river dwellers, do they need any special 'cleansing' treatment, the addition of extra salt, or what?

Yeah if its hairy crabs they should be fairly normal to eat, give or take the odd bit of river pollution. Only thing to note is they're not that big versus the ocean-crabs you usually get so the dismembering is sort of a bit of a pain (best thing to get the restaurant to do this for you...). the roe is abundent (in season) and highly prized though.

J

[Ian]

Yeah if its hairy crabs they should be fairly normal to eat, give or take the odd bit of river pollution. Only thing to note is they're not that big versus the ocean-crabs you usually get so the dismembering is sort of a bit of a pain (best thing to get the restaurant to do this for you...). the roe is abundent (in season) and highly prized though.

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The Hong Kong restaurant critic William Mark introduced me to my first Shanghai Hairy Crab at the end of last year. Photos here. The roe was fantastic - like egg yolk but with an even more intense flavour.

All the best,

--

Ian

Edited February 15, 2006 by Ian (log)

[Franci]

In September me and my husband went to the most famous restaurant in Shanghai for hairy crabs, we took 1 hour and half to finish 4 crabs! Never left a crab so clean

They are really the best! What is maryland blue in comparison?

Origamicrane, keep us posted, I am very interested!