Crays have a size limit of 10cm to 12cm, which should be measured from the centre of the eye socket to the centre rear of the carapace.
Recreational fishers are being encouraged to get into the great outdoors during winter and catch a Murray spiny freshwater crayfish when the three-month season opens.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Victorian Fisheries Authority chief executive officer Travis Dowling said the prized freshwater species could be caught in northern and north-east Victoria from Sunday, June 1, and were great fun for fishers of all ages and experience levels.
“One great thing about catching crays is you don’t need heaps of gear — a piece of steak on a length of string or a labelled hoop net will do the job,” Mr Dowling said.
“It’s important to know how to measure crays correctly, from just behind the eye socket to the rear of the carapace, which is the main body shell.
“The legal size range of 10 to 12 centimetres help keep large, breeding females in the system to produce offspring for years to come.”
In good news for the species, a study funded by recreational fishing licence fees has found wild populations across 17 sites in north-east Victoria remain in strong shape.
A cray ruler shows the size limit.
Researchers surveyed the locations using hoop nets and found only minor changes from a similar study undertaken in 2016.
VFA recreational fisheries manager Taylor Hunt said the assessment compared the abundance, size and sex ratio of freshwater crays caught in the two surveys and showed their numbers remaining steady.
“There were increases in the Goulburn River around Shepparton and the Wodonga Creek, slight reductions in the Goulburn at Murchison, Mitchellstown and Seymour, and very little to no change in the Ovens, Kiewa and Mitta Mitta rivers,” Dr Hunt said.
“This is good news and suggests our existing fishing rules are balancing fishing opportunities for recreational anglers with the right level of protection for a really important native species.
“We’re also working with ARI [Arthur Rylah Institute] to produce Murray spiny freshwater craylings at our Snobs Creek conservation hatchery, which will further bolster numbers in these spots and more.”
Key rules for Murray spiny freshwater crayfish are the 10 to 12cm ‘slot limit’, a daily bag limit of two crays and a statewide possession limit of four per person at any one time.
For more information, grab a free Recreational Fishing Guide from a tackle store, download the free VicFishing app or head to vfa.vic.gov.au/fishingguide
16°C