American crayfish cause millions of damage but the ministry refuses to pay. Delfland is angry

The brown-red animals not only threaten the water quality and biodiversity, but also the dikes. The American crayfish is therefore a cost of millions for Dutch water boards. These organizations, which bear responsibility for water management in a region, must take preventive measures and capture these ‘invasive exotics’. And that costs money.

The Delfland Water Board, which sees an explosive increase in the crayfish, therefore decided on 18 February 2025 to send a fire letter to State Secretary Jean Rummenie (agriculture, fishing, food security and nature, BBB). The water board believes that Rummenie undertakes too little against the exotic, while that obligation does exist from the European Exot Regulation.

« The ministry does not think that she has to fight outdoor areas outside of nature reserves. That is very cru »

In a response, the ministry indicated that it is not mandatory to catch « structural in large parts of the Netherlands ». The State Secretary only wants to do that within nature reserves. The costs increase considerably if the animals also have to be caught elsewhere, now that the exotic has spread throughout the country.

STIJN VAN BOXMEER WEATHER WEAD OF RUMMENIE FORTED. On 2 June 2025, Delfland therefore sent a second letter, in which the water board indicates that the empire is obliged to catch American crayfish also outside of protected nature reserves. These costs should again be paid « by the government and not by the inhabitants of the area of ​​Delfland or other water boards. » Van Boxmeer hopes that this letter will lead to action.

How big is the nuisance?

« One crayfish is possible, that is a conservative estimate, laying around four hundred eggs. Four hundred. In America, the lobster has quite a few natural enemies, so those eggs are partly eaten. But in the Netherlands those Water plants do not reach the soil, so that water plants deteriorate.

« In addition, Delfland consists largely of polders that are protected by dikes. The crayfish digs dig tunnels in the banks, which weakens them. Well, we do not have to worry immediately that very large dikes are going to break. But the smaller the dike, the greater the effect of many hollows. »

This is the second letter that Delfland sends.

« The first was more to pass on our position. The second letter is a request for enforcement. The ministry must respond within eight weeks. Look, we think that on the basis of the exotic regulation the ministry should take responsibility and having to hurry, even outside the nature reserves. The reaction of the State Secretary to the first letter that the ministry is not being taken. Fighting in other waters.

Why?

« The exotal regulation has been in apply since 2015. The government and therefore the Ministry has long had the task of fighting the American crayfish. Three years ago we even came up with a plan of approach with all kinds of parties, including the empire. Then we already talked about the capture of these exotics, about how much and in which rivers. We. »

What if the ministry does not change position?

« The relationships are not so bad. We have absolutely the confidence that the dialogue can be restarted. On the other hand, we want the costs that we now incur as a water board – for example by constructing false, ‘nature -friendly’ banks and using professional fishermen – are recovered from the empire. Because now the costs are passed on to the citizens through the water board tax. That is 13 million for the first year, 7.3 million for the coming year. We will continue to insist. « 

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