The crayfish infection in the Skellefteälven has not spread to other watercourses: "Been good at following the restrictions"

- We have not received any reports of dead crayfish in any other watercourses, he says. 

A contributing reason to the fact that the infection has not spread further is thanks to the fact that the residents of Skellefteå are good at following the restrictions that apply.

But now that the crayfish fishery has started, it is especially important that we continue to follow the restrictions, says Tony Söderlund.  

- It is important that we continue to follow the existing restrictions.

That you clean your equipment and boats, the municipality has a hot water wash that you can use to clean boats and boat trailers.

You can also look at the municipality's website where you can get tips on how to clean up so that you don't spread the infection further to more water, he says.  

Long way back to a healthy river 

When all the crayfish in the Skellefteälven have died, the infection also disappears, provided no signal crayfish are found.

The hope is that during the next season the crayfish will be reintroduced into the Skellefteälven.

But that it will take a long time before the stock has recovered.   

- It takes a number of generations before the river crayfish has built up a stock again, says Tony Söderlund, fisheries consultant in Skellefteå municipality. 

The municipality of Skellefteå will soon have new meetings with the County Board to plan how to proceed with, among other things, trial fishing.