I used to hear the news of the flood of crayfish somewhere in Europe, but I didn't expect that this time it was Paris's turn...
Recently, many netizens living in the 16th arrondissement of Paris (le bois de Boulogne) found that when they walked in the forest, they could encounter crayfish on the road!
"The crayfish I found in the Boulogne forest this morning!" I know they've got a lot in the lake, but it's the first time they've been encountered on the road!"
As this netizen said, although this forest has always been inhabited by crayfish, it may be that in the past two years, due to the epidemic, crayfish have lived a carefree life, and even the lake can't stuff them!
In the face of this situation, the ecology experts in Paris are heartbroken and say that they must stop the invasion of these crayfish! Otherwise, the Seine will be full of crayfish in the future!
The concerns of ecologists are not unfounded, as the crayfish, which live in Paris, are truly invasive and uncontrollable once they breed!
The "invasion" of the Paris region by crayfish began about a decade ago, and the lakes in the Boulogne Forest were one of the hardest hit areas for the flood of crayfish.
There are two main types of crayfish that invaded Paris, called Écrevisse de Louisiane and Écrevisse Américaine.
The name may be a bit awkward, but the crayfish that is a regular in the domestic barbecue shop is actually the original crayfish of Klein's!
According to the French Fishing Association, these two species of crawfish are native to North America and came to Europe by sea about 100 years ago, and then began to launch an "invasion" of major European waters.
In addition to strong adaptability and fast reproduction speed, the habit of crayfish likes to burrow and dig holes is also easy to cause damage to the riverbank and cause soil erosion.
The head of the French association "La Maison de la Pêche" said that don't look at the small crayfish, they can easily dig a two-meter-long burrow, and their combat effectiveness is comparable to that of a beaver.
Had it not been for the timely intervention of associations and departments in recent years, parts of the banks of the Seine might have collapsed...
In addition, the American crayfish also carries a fungus, which is harmless to the human body, but it is a disaster for the native European shrimp species, and even called the "lobster plague" by researchers!
Shrimp infected with the fungus die quickly within a few days, such as the European-native Écrevisse à pattes rouges, which have no resistance to the fungus and whose living space has been greatly squeezed by crayfish in recent years.
So, in the face of this ferocious invasive species, what are the French prepared to do with it?
The answer is one word: eat!
The aforementioned "House of Fishing" association issued a statement in 2013 calling on all anglers in France not to hesitate when they encounter crayfish, please catch them all and take them home to eat!
After all, most of the waters in France are not polluted, and the quality of the crayfish raised is not bad, and it is really wasted if you don't eat it!
At this moment, the two major foodie countries in the East and the West have reached a consensus on eating crayfish!
Considering that many French people don't usually eat crayfish at all, this association also kindly said that if they can't eat it, we can also give you a recipe!
In France, crayfish are treated with shallots and garlic to add flavor, and then simmer in white wine.
Hearing this, are many foodies living in Paris ready to open a crayfish ball?
But wait a minute! Although crayfish are allowed to be caught and eaten in France, it does not mean that they can be caught casually! If you don't get it right, you'll be fined!
First of all, according to French law, all fishing and fishing in water bodies requires an application for a fishing license (carte de pêche)!
If there is no fishing license, if the illegal fishing is detected by the waters authorities, a fine of 38 euros will be imposed; If the catch is large, the fine can be up to 450 euros!
And this fishing license application is not troublesome, just go to the official website of the fishing license to pay, book the card, and then follow the instructions, to the nearest fishing association to collect it, some cities can even be in Decathlon and fishing tackle shops.
Official website directions https://www.cartedepeche.fr/
Fishing passes are mainly divided into Professional Card (100 euros), Adult Card (78 euros), Leisure Card (35 euros), Minor Card (21 euros), Children Card (6 euros), Weekly Card (33 euros) and Day Card (12 euros).
The main difference between these cards is the waters where fishing can be fished and the time allowed to fish, and everyone can buy a fishing card that suits their situation according to the instructions on the official website.
Get a fishing license, but our lobster fishing business has only just begun the first step, and the next step is to learn some laws and regulations for catching crayfish!
First of all, not everything like crayfish in the river can be caught, it must be an invasive species like the North American shrimp!
Remember, they're red! There are also small protrusions on the body!
For example, the Aosta shrimp and the European white shrimp in the picture below are protected species and are found to be fined!
△ The color of their bodies and jaws is blue-white
If you are not sure, everyone will stare at the red crayfish and catch it, and the other shrimp will be released back to nature
Each crayfish catcher can only carry a maximum of six cages, each with a prescribed maximum diameter of 30 cm and a minimum mesh size of 27 mm.
In addition, the time that can be fished every day is from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and night fishing is strictly prohibited! Fines for violators!
After learning this, everyone can go fishing for crayfish happily! Crayfish generally love to eat fresh meat, you can go to the supermarket to buy a few large chicken legs, throw them into the cage can catch crayfish!
The main place to catch crayfish in Paris is a few ponds in the Boulogne Forest, and everyone can go there to catch crayfish.
But students who are not in Paris should not be discouraged, crayfish are basically in the major waters of France, you can search for the keyword "ecrevisse + your city / province name" on Google, you can find the habitat of crayfish! Especially the students who live in the southwest, the water over there is simply everywhere!
If there is anything professionals to add to catching crayfish, feel free to share your experience in the comments section!
I hope you all finish crayfish freedom soon!