The municipal Agriculture and Rural Development Department has issued a directive on banning crayfish sale and consumption in Hanoi as the species is considered an invasive animal that harms the bio-diversity and agricultural production, according to Kinh te & Do thi newspaper.
Crayfish is an ivasive animal which could harm the bio-diversification and agriculture. Photo by John Calcalosi/ Naturepl.com.
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Earlier, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development had issued an urgent directive to the customs departments and People’s Committees across Vietnam on strengthening inspection and preventing the spread of this species.
Crayfish, known as red-claw crawfish or Cherax quadricarinatus, is an omnivore crustacean, which can devour both death or alive animals and plants, as a result, it can destroy the crops, break the food chains and pose risks to useful species including domestic fish and shrimps, according to former head of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources Dang Huy Huynh.
Also, the crustacean usually digs holes deeply underneath the water that can ruin the construction foundation and cause land erosion.
Doctors from the University of Washington School of Medicine warned people not to eat raw crayfish, which has a parasite namely Paragonimus kellicotti in its head that may attack human lungs.
The parasite has been found in six victims’ lungs who consumed raw crayfish of Missouri river in the US so far since 2006.
In 2008, crayfish was grown in a laboratory in Phu Tho province, however, researchers warned against the breeding the species.
Until 2013, crayfish is considered as one of the perilous and invasive species in the lists of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Besides posing danger to the bio-system, its economic value is not higher than other shrimp species.
