ILLEGAL CRAYFISH TRAPS have been discovered in the Birmingham & Fazeley Canal.
Such traps are dangerous to other wildlife so have been removed from the waterway, Janet Friend reports.
The Environment Agency told that six unauthorised traps (image by the Environment Agency) were removed from the canal after a tip-off, adding that these traps catch not only fish and crayfish but other wildlife such as water voles.
The UK's native crayfish, also known as white-clawed crayfish are a protected species.
Our native crayfish is under threat after the spread of the invasive North American signal crayfish.
The crayfish traps are fixed on the edge of the canal with it dipping into the water where they were seen and reported.
Government regulations on crayfish trapping are that people must not trap or remove native and non-native crayfish in England without written permission from the Environment Agency.