Crayfish and crayfishing in Lake Vättern

Crayfish festivals in the Kingdom
of the Crayfish!
Crayfish and
crayfishing in
Lake Vättern
“Kräftivaler” is the collective name for a number of crayfish festivals around Lake Vättern that are held once a year.
The crayfish festivals around Lake Vättern have different
themes, though they all offer eating and buying of crayfish,
as well as crayfishing. In Vadstena, Hästholmen, Habo and
Hjo the focus is on children and family activities. Tidaholm
has celebrated the Day of the Crayfish for more than
20 years which attracts many visitors every year. Motala
holds its crayfish festival in the harbour with crayfishing,
competitions and “crayfish activities”. Information on
the crayfish festivals can be found on the homepage of
Kräftriket, www.kraftriket.se. Welcome to a great feast!
KINGDOM OF THE CRAYFISH IN SWEDEN
Illustration: Thommy Gustavsson
www.vattern.org
www.kraftriket.se
Lake Vättern Society of Water Conservation is a non-profit organisation that follows the state of the
environment in Lake Vättern and coordinates fishing issues through a joint fishing administration
(Samförvaltning Fiske). It also works to coordinate information. This folder has been produced by
Kräftriket and Lake Vättern Society of Water Conservation and is sponsored by EU (The European
Fisheries Fund).
Lake Vättern and its guest harbours (generally equipped with boat ramps), tourist information
and locations with crayfish festivals. The thin blue line shows the boundary between private
and public water. Illustration: Niklas Johansson
Producerad och tryckt på DanagårdLiTHO. Foto på framsidan: LQpictures. Upplaga 10.000 ex. Juli 2011
The crayfish festivals are arranged by member municipalities of Kräftriket. Kräftriket is a cooperative association
made up of entrepreneurs, private individuals and municipalities that see great potential and processing opportunities in crayfish. The aim of Kräftriket is for all the
municipalities around Lake Vättern to hold their own
crayfish festivals. The vision is for Kräftriket to be the
driving force of the tourism industry with the focus on
crayfish, and to create experiences for visitors. Lake Vättern
has a lot to offer with its nature, location and many cultural
experiences, which combine well with crayfish experiences.
When the signal crayfish came to Lake Vättern
When the signal crayfish
came to Lake Vättern…
Crayfish – tradition and culture
Few traditions are as rooted in the Swedish people’s soul as
crayfish and crayfish parties. But it hasn’t always been that
way. The crayfish tradition can, in fact, be considered a
modern tradition. In past times doctors warned that crayfish
were unhealthy food, and Carl von Linné advised people
against eating “these insects”! However, within the upper
classes in the 16th century and later, crayfish were a sign of
prosperity.
With industrialisation in the 19th century, the crayfish party
came to be a popular festivity. Crayfishing summoned romantic memories about nature and the country life people longed
for. In particular, Carl Larsson’s paintings, showing idyllic
crayfishing and parties, contributed to the popularity of the
crayfish tradition. Accessories such as hats and lanterns were
extra touches that appealed to the growing middle class. With
the crayfish, beer and flavoured aquavit were drunk.
What distinguishes the Swedish tradition is that the crayfish
are cooked in salted and dill infused water and shelled at
the plate. Crayfish are eaten throughout the world, but in
many countries crayfish often constitute only one of many
ingredients. There are also recipes for preparing crayfish in
a number of other ways, such as soup, sausage and pie.
The signal crayfish has become an important species for professional fishermen and anglers around Lake Vättern. Nowadays,
it forms the basis of professional fishing. Public crayfishing
attracts tourists and anglers from near and far, and crayfishing
in Lake Vättern is unique in terms of both quantity and quality.
The life of the crayfish
The noble crayfish lives in shallow waters in lakes, ponds and
small watercourses, while the signal crayfish is often found in
deeper waters. In Lake Vättern, the catches are biggest at depths
of up to 15 m, though there are stocks that can be fished at
depths of up to 30 m. The crayfish is mainly nocturnal and
prefer stony bottoms with hiding places or clay bottoms where
they can dig holes. Crayfish are omnivores and their diet
How to fish for crayfish in Lake Vättern
Crayfishing in Lake Vättern can either be in private or public
waters. Private waters, where the fishing rights are owned
by the landowner, extend 300 m out from land (and islands).
If the 3 m depth contour goes out further than 300 metres,
then the water inside the contour is also private. In addition,
Motalaviken, Hargeviken, parts of Röknasundet, and all the
water in the northern archipelago are private (see map).
Permission is required from the landowner to fish in private
waters, while crayfishing in public waters is free during a
specified period. Free crayfishing in the public waters of Lake
Vättern is unique to Sweden. Crayfishing is best done from a
boat since traps can easily be put out with fish or other nicesmelling bait. Remember that Vättern is a large lake – almost
an inland sea – where the weather, wind and waves can change
quickly. Therefore it is important to use equipment and a boat
that is suitable for the conditions on the lake. When fishing
in private waters from the shore, scoop nets are also used.
The bait is then placed in the middle of the net and when the
crayfish has been enticed to the bait, the net is quickly lifted.
There are crayfishing regulations covering all of Lake Vättern,
and it is your duty to ensure you comply with the current regulations! For detailed fishing rules, visit Lake Vättern Society
of Water Conservation’s homepage at www.vattern.org or
contact the municipality or County Administrative Board
where you will also find information on boat ramps, points of
sale, etc. The crayfishing rules include the following
(valid from 2011):
• Fishing in public waters is open to the
general public on weekends from
Friday 5 pm to Sunday 5 pm,
•
•
•
•
•
as from the second Friday in August up to and including the second Sunday in September.
To be part of the general public and thus be allowed to crayfish in public waters you need to be a Swedish citizen or be living permanently in Sweden.
When crayfishing in public waters you may use a maximum of six sets of equipment per person.
The crayfish must be at least 10 cm long from the end of its nose to the end of its tail. Crayfish under 10 cm must be put back in the water right away.
Each trap must have at least two escape openings with a
diameter of at least 28 mm (in addition to the entrances!). The openings should be placed on opposite sides
in the lower part of the trap where it can not be blocked.
The equipment must be marked with a buoy of at least 15 cm in diameter and be labelled with the name and telephone number/address of the owner.
Photo: Ulf Nilsson
At other times of the year, you can fish for crayfish in
some private water areas near the shore where the owners
of fishing and water rights offer crayfishing. There is a
wide selection of accommodation around Lake Vättern
ranging from camping to luxury hotels. For more crayfish
experiences, see the municipalities’ tourist information or
www.kraftriket.se.
Photo: LQpictures
Sweden has two species of crayfish, the
native noble crayfish and the signal
crayfish that has been introduced. Lake Vättern was hit by
crayfish plague at the end of
the 1930s, leading to the stocks
of crayfish being almost wiped out.
In 1969, the first North American signal crayfish were released
in the northernmost part of Lake Vättern (Alsen). The signal
crayfish is thus a species that has been introduced into Lake
Vättern. The introduction of signal crayfish continued until the
end of the 1980s, and together with migration from inflowing
watercourses, it has led to increasing stocks. Parts of Lake
Vättern now have areas with dense stocks of signal crayfish.
The signal crayfish often carry the crayfish plague fungus
but are more resilient to it than the noble crayfish. Note that
crayfish from Lake Vättern may not be spread to other waters.
All moving and planting out of fish and crayfish requires
permission from the County Administrative Board!
includes larvae, shells, dead fish and aquatic plants. They grow
in stages when they shed their shells. For the small crayfish
fry, this can be every few weeks, and for fully grown crayfish
it is once or twice a season. The signal crayfish can grow to
12-14 cm in length in 4-5 years, with specimens of up to 20
cm sometimes being caught in Lake Vättern.