Crayfishing permit

You always need a separate crayfishing permit for catching crayfish. In addition, you must pay the fisheries management fee if you are 18–69 years old. The obligation to pay a fisheries management fee does not apply to crayfishers who have turned 65 by 31 December 2023. The crayfishing permit is purchased for a specific area and it is valid for the entire crayfishing season. You can purchase crayfishing permits for state-owned water areas from Metsähallitus.

In 2024, the crayfishing season begins on 21 July at 12.00 pm (noon) and ends on 31 October.

Purchasing a crayfishing permit

The sale of crayfishing permits starts on 1 July 2024.

The crayfishing permit is always for a specific crayfishing area. The price of the crayfishing permit depends on how many pots or other types of traps will be used under the permit. The price for using a single pot or other trap is 8 euros. The crayfishing permit is valid for the entire crayfishing season.

The sale of crayfishing permits for a given crayfishing destination depends on the size of the crayfish population and the pot quota. A pot quota for a single crayfisher varies from site to site. The quota for crayfish traps is indicated on the page of each crayfishing area.

Both the native noble crayfish and American signal crayfish live in Metsähallitus’ crayfishing sites. Every crayfisher must be able to distinguish the noble crayfish from the signal crayfish and understand why preventing crayfish plague is the crayfisher's most important task. Please read the crayfishing instructions, area information and permit conditions carefully before starting crayfishing.

See all crayfishing areas.

Crayfish plague

One of the threats facing crayfish in Finland is crayfish plague, which is spread by signal crayfish. Preventing the spread of crayfish plague and protecting the indigenous noble crayfish involves all crayfishers.

Identifying crayfish species

Elävä täplärapu nostettu pöydälle.

Signal crayfish (täplärapu) usually have a well defined whitish or bluish patch at the base of the claw fingers. Signal crayfish shell is smooth throughout.

Lähikuva jokiravusta.

The claws of the noble crayfish (jokirapu) are the same colour as the shell. The noble crayfish has a row of clearly visible nodules on its side in the groove between the head and cephalothorax.

Crayfish plague prevention

Preventing the spread of the disease is simple:

Use only frozen bait or bait originating from the area where you are crayfishing.
Do not transfer crayfish to other water areas without the proper permit.
Only keep crayfish you have caught in the section of water where you caught them.

In some cases, there is a need to move trapping and fishing tackle from one water area to another. Moving tackle is only safe when the traps have been properly cleaned and disinfected in two steps:

First, thoroughly clean the traps with, for example, a pressure washer.
Then fully dry the traps outside in the sun. This is the first phase of disinfection.
In the second phase, the traps are disinfected in one of the following two ways:

Boil the traps for ten minutes.
Submerge the traps for 30 minutes in a 4% formalin or rectified spirit solution, with three parts rectified spirit (e.g. Sinol or Lasol) and one part water.
Freeze at -20 degrees Celsius for at least two days. For example, trapping tackle should be stored in a cold and dry place during the winter.
Dry in a sauna at +80 degrees Celsius for at least five hours.

Suspect crayfish plague?

Crayfish dies so quickly of crayfish plague that there is not enough time for easily identifiable external signs to develop. Suspected cases of crayfish plague usually do not raise any suspicions until dead crayfish are found or when catch numbers plummet.

The signal crayfish is responsible for spread of the plague. Dark spots found on the signal crayfish shell and in its joints are signs that the crayfish's defences are fighting the plague fungus It is assumed that nearly all signal crayfish are carriers of the disease. This is why there is no reason to send samples to the Finnish Food Authority for analysis unless the findings also involve mortality.

Where crayfish are concerned, deviations in their shell may indicate the presence of crayfish diseases. In such cases, you should send samples to the Finnish Food Authority. Shell deviations include clearly defined changes in colour and erosion.