Nutria in Ireland.

Cass

Anyone else know that these were here?

Every program i've ever watched that spoke about these said they were a prolific problem and extremely difficult to eradicate.

Eddie B

Yea they've been down around cork a long time now. Numbers are very small i believe and there's an ongoimg projectopic o eradicate them.

Read somewhere we used to have muskrat here too. Years ago. Had to get a trapper from the UK to eradicate them. Caught over 600 in one small area.

cookimonster

These are found in France as well, but in the 13 years I holiday'd there I never once seen one alive or dead.
Wonder what they taste like:D.....

Gravelly

I always knew that if Ireland was overrun with giant rats, they'd come from Cork.

gunny123

Well Sika deer were introduced into the irish countryside by escapee's from Lord Powerscourts private menagerie near Enniskerry, so this sort of thing has happened before.

Eddie B

Here's the article I read

http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/local-news/174979/Swamp-rat-capture-recalls-days-of.html

CZ455Mad

Gravelly wrote: »

I always knew that if Ireland was overrun with giant rats, they'd come from Cork.

Easy now not everyone from cork is a rat Hahahaha

dodderangler

gunny123 wrote: »

Well Sika deer were introduced into the irish countryside by escapee's from Lord Powerscourts private menagerie near Enniskerry, so this sort of thing has happened before.

You won't see a sika digging burrows to collapse river banks and flood areas. Read up on the nutria and the damage they do. Hurricane Katrina hit the US and the floods were a result of banks bursting so heavily and trees collapsing put down to overrun areas of nutria rats.

gunny123

dodderangler wrote: »

You won't see a sika digging burrows to collapse river banks and flood areas.

I never suggested they would. My point is, introduced species can often out breed and force out native species, sika deer and the American grey squirrel to name two animals. Giant hogweed in the plant world and crayfish in the marine.

minktrapper

gunny123 wrote: »

I never suggested they would. My point is, introduced species can often out breed and force out native species, sika deer and the American grey squirrel to name two animals. Giant hogweed in the plant world and crayfish in the marine.

Don't forget to mention the American Mink.

Eddie B

gunny123 wrote: »

I never suggested they would. My point is, introduced species can often out breed and force out native species, sika deer and the American grey squirrel to name two animals. Giant hogweed in the plant world and crayfish in the marine.

There's no invasive crayfish species in Ireland. Only our native one which are a protected species.

Cass

Has anyone seen one or even spoken to someone that has?

Nekarsulm

Never saw crayfish, but lakes round me are simply carpeted with Zebra Mussels and their old shells.

AnthonyCny

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Never saw crayfish, but lakes round me are simply carpeted with Zebra Mussels and their old shells.

Are zebra mussels edible?

Nekarsulm

AnthonyCny wrote: »

Are zebra mussels edible?

No idea, but if you go fishing with a sinking lure, they are easy caught ......... :pac:

Grizzly 45

AnthonyCny wrote: »

Are zebra mussels edible?

If you don't mind breaking into micro shells that are sharp and are tricker to open than a safe for about a half peanut worth of gunk..Then yea...Best leave them to the ducks and wild fowl.

Now,crayfish OTOH and anyone who has eaten in New Orleans will know how tasty" crawdads" can be.:)
Now I wonder are these nutria critters anyway tasty?

Quick Google.
We have a new game species folks!:D
They are indeed edible and apprently taste like dark turkey meat.Seeing that they aren't garbage eaters like the common rat and are plant eaters you wont have to worry too much about the more disgusting contents of the average sewer rat when handling them. So to sort this problem out,we just eat the invader.
http://www.wideopenspaces.com/kids-nutria-rats-dinner/

Cass

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Now,crayfish OTOH and anyone who has eaten in New Orleans will know how tasty" crawdads" can be.:)

Never tasted them, but from TV programs where you see a huge pot of them being cooked they look tasty as feck.

dodderangler

They're same as crawfish in America. Taste like a river tbh.

él statutorio

dodderangler wrote: »

They're same as crawfish in America. Taste like a river tbh.

Agreed. You can improve the taste by flushing them with fresh clean water for a few days prior to cooking (similar to carp) but even then they still don't taste great.

Cass

Awwwwww....................

Could you not have left me thinking they were great?

Grizzly 45

They are,if you have ever eaten "gumbo" or a "boil" as they call it down "Orlean"
Somewhat like lobster.However I'd say we'd be awhile getting 20 to 30 lbs of Irish crayfish together to try this.:P

http://honestcooking.com/cook-crawfish/

Eddie B

Cass wrote: »

Awwwwww....................

Could you not have left me thinking they were great?

Crayfish are very nice to eat. I had them years ago, but you'd have to go to the UK if ya wanna try them now. Those signal crayfish are nice and big, compared to what we have. Saying that, doesn't Aldi or Tesco do them from time to time. Can't remember which. Just the tails cooked, ready to eat.

cookimonster

Lidl do them, in brine if I remember rightly, very tasty.
We used to collect them from rocky lake shores while we were fishing, if you where lucky you'd get a coffee cup full of tails for an open soda bread sandwich.

Eddie B

Looks like their spreading

http://www.thatsfarming.com/news/coypus-spotted-in-leitrim-species-alert

minktrapper

Wouldn't like to meet one of them on the river at dusk on a summers night.

Cass

Just a thought, has anyone contacted the NPWS about them. I presume it's shoot on sight.

Vizzy

Cass wrote: »

Just a thought, has anyone contacted the NPWS about them. I presume it's shoot on sight.

Was just about to ask the same thing !!

Eddie B

Cass wrote: »

Just a thought, has anyone contacted the NPWS about them. I presume it's shoot on sight.

Wouldn't you think the NPWS would ask the NARGC to ask members to help sort the situation, especially as they seem to be unable to sort it themselves.

Cass

They haven't the man power or money. So as you said why not turn to the everyday shooters (the ones they are currently trying to shaft with night time bans and compulsory deer training courses) to do the ground work.

At the very least release a statement about them.

Cass

No point in guessing. Just lashed off an e-mail to the NPWS to find out. Will post here when i get a reply.

Cass

Quick response from the NPWS. I got a full reply with details on reporting sightings, etc. Here is the key part:

In relation to your specific queries, individuals are permitted to shoot coypu and a licence is not required to do so.

With regard to sightings:

Ireland is obliged to report any sightings to the Commission and undertake effective eradication measures to remove any animals from the wild. Please report any sightings of this invasive species to the National Biodiversity Data Centre - http://records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/invasives