Good sales are a determining factor for opportunities for scaling up crayfish fisheries in the Netherlands

American crayfish are found in large numbers in Dutch inland waters. In recent decades, especially the red and striped American crayfish have increased in number. The invasive lobsters are commercially fished on a limited scale. Wageningen Environmental Research has looked at opportunities to scale up crayfish fisheries in Dutch waters. Restaurants see crayfish as a beautiful, but also a very laborious product. They therefore often opt for the purchase of imported peeled crayfish. They are open to lobsters caught in the Netherlands if they are shelled, the price is competitive and there is continuity in supply. Only a limited group of professional fishermen currently fish for crayfish. The lack of a market and too low yields form an obstacle. Professional fishermen are moderately positive about the potential of this branch of fishery to grow. Water boards see limited support for the use of professional fishermen, they have more support for an approach in which higher densities of ...