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Please leave us your thoughts and feedback on importing red swamp crayfish into Colorado. This comment period will close July 30th, 2023. Share your comments with CPW and see what others are saying (all comments are public and subject to review).
CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
Do it. It’s over a billion dollar industry. As much as people consume that should help keep overpopulation under control.
Rcollazo
almost 2 years ago
Help me understand... You have a regulation in place for over 10 years and now you are soliciting feedback on it?! KEEP THE REGULATION IN PLACE to help prevent this invasive species but start enforcing it! Stop kowtowing to fishermen that want everything easy and the "take, take, take" mentality too many of them have.
DaveRuane
almost 2 years ago
I've been buying crayfish in Denver for quite some time and cook them at home. I had no idea I was breaking the law. If a store has live ones for sale, I just assumed they were legal. Even locally, I see restaurants having crayfish boils with live sacks. I also belong to Crayster's Colorado Crawfish Reports, a facebook page dedicated to wild caught crayfishing in Colorado. I certainly can understand that a person could easily buy live ones and then be a bucket biologist. So I'm torn. I enjoy buying my crayfish and eating them.
Vman
almost 2 years ago
As a former senior aquatic biologist for the Division of Wildlife, I am writing to strongly urge CPW to prohibit the import of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) into Colorado. There is real risk of irrreparable damage to aquatic ecosystems in Colorado if this non-native crayfish is imported and then gets released into the environment. Little is known about how the red swamp crayfish will interact with native aquatic species in Colorado, and given this uncertainty, it is far better to err on the side of caution and prohibit its import, at least until conclusive research is done to determine what the impacts of this species may be.
Michael Japhet
almost 2 years ago
Rarely ever does introducing a species of anything -plants, trees, wildlife or aquatic- that isn't native to an area, go well. The laws of unintended consequences usually comes into play. Don't do it.
Do it. It’s over a billion dollar industry. As much as people consume that should help keep overpopulation under control.
Help me understand... You have a regulation in place for over 10 years and now you are soliciting feedback on it?! KEEP THE REGULATION IN PLACE to help prevent this invasive species but start enforcing it! Stop kowtowing to fishermen that want everything easy and the "take, take, take" mentality too many of them have.
I've been buying crayfish in Denver for quite some time and cook them at home. I had no idea I was breaking the law. If a store has live ones for sale, I just assumed they were legal. Even locally, I see restaurants having crayfish boils with live sacks. I also belong to Crayster's Colorado Crawfish Reports, a facebook page dedicated to wild caught crayfishing in Colorado. I certainly can understand that a person could easily buy live ones and then be a bucket biologist. So I'm torn. I enjoy buying my crayfish and eating them.
As a former senior aquatic biologist for the Division of Wildlife, I am writing to strongly urge CPW to prohibit the import of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) into Colorado. There is real risk of irrreparable damage to aquatic ecosystems in Colorado if this non-native crayfish is imported and then gets released into the environment. Little is known about how the red swamp crayfish will interact with native aquatic species in Colorado, and given this uncertainty, it is far better to err on the side of caution and prohibit its import, at least until conclusive research is done to determine what the impacts of this species may be.
Rarely ever does introducing a species of anything -plants, trees, wildlife or aquatic- that isn't native to an area, go well. The laws of unintended consequences usually comes into play.
Don't do it.