Catch Info:

• Method:
  Hooks and Lines
• Gear:
  Buoy Gears

View details of SeafoodWatch Catch Methods

Description:

The most commonly harvested and farmed crayfish, or crawfish, in China is the red swamp crayfish that is native to the southeastern United States. Crayfish cook up bright red. They are sweet like lobster but not as rich. Their meat is also more tender. Crayfish deteriorate quickly after death and must be cooked live. The tail should curl when cooked. If it does not, the crayfish was dead and should be discarded.

Various species of crayfish are found throughout the world in swamps, rivers, wetlands and lakes. The red swamp crayfish are native to the southeastern United States but have been introduced to a number of other countries in Asia, Europe, Africa and other parts of the Americas.

Red swamp crayfish are not native to China, but were introduced for aquaculture. They are farmed in earthen ponds and are able to crawl over or burrow through the pond walls, escaping into the wild. Red swamp crayfish in the wild are descended from crayfish that have escaped from farmed populations, and cause negative impacts on wild fish populations and food webs. In addition, red swamp crayfish are carriers of a fungus that can decimate native crayfish populations. Some other aspects of crayfish culture are positive. Chemical usage is low because they are relatively disease resistant. In addition, crayfish are able to feed off of plant and animal matter in the pond environment thus supplementary feed is unnecessary.

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