jn Posted January 1, 2008 Report Share Posted January 1, 2008 Anyone know if its possible to buy a breeding pair of native koura to keep as pets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketman Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 my understanding is that koura are protected species and are, like saltwater crayfish, only to be kept under licence from MAF. please correct me if im wrong someone, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I might be wrong but i thought as long as they were legal size you can keep them (just like the restaurants do?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinsonMassif Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Aren't all the fresh water crayfish for sale in LFS native NZ Koura that have been farmed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaNs Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I think it depends where they come from Here in Taupo you have to have approval to remove them from the lake(approval from the local maori's) If they are farmed, no worries in regards to keeping them AFAIK Im not sure about getting them from other water sources in nz Would be cool to breed them Stella may know more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OAB Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Not protected at all. There may be some local regs such as mentioned for Taupo but there is a catch limit of 50 per day with no size limit for personal consumption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Oh hell, I am getting a reputation.... You cannot take crayfish from the wild and sell them, but (with appropriate permits) you can farm them and sell them. I know the Mahurangi Technical Institute is farming them and selling some to the pet trade. I did see some in Hamilton for... $24.95 I have no idea what the tech is selling them for directly, but I could put you in touch with some people there if you are interested. Personally I would just go spotlighting till I found some good sized ones. And they don't have to be huge to breed. As for breeding them..... Apparently it is possible. BUT they can be very territorial and aggressive and cannibalistic. I do know it can be done, but it is kinda risky, you might wind up with one big fat cray. It would be very important to have a really floor area of the tank, lots of hiding places and visual barriers and lots of food. Reduces stress and competition thus reducing aggression. They are cool pets though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted January 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I don't know where I could find them around Canterbury... I don't really want to poach any river supplies. I fully respect that they're protected but I do know they are also farmed....so they can be bred in captivity. I've done a bit of reading and know there is a North island and a South island species. I also read that some of the farms sell their overstock to the pet trade (but I think they might have been all males or all females). I'd been keen on the SI species since they might be more suited to the temps here. I was considering setting up a special pool or pond outside, that would get some shade in summer so they stay cool. I realise they need a lot of oxygen in the water.. so it would need good flow. The farming stuff I've read indicated they needed muddy sort of banks to really thrive and breed so I thought that might be cool and that they also had better results from long narrow ponds with the flow going in one end and out the other (like a river setup I guess!). I could also perhaps consider some other types of natives. I live on 10 acres so I have some room to play with a big pool or pond for fun.. and natives sound much more interesting than goldfish. Who knows.. if they bred I might be able to get permission to release them somewhere appropriate? Stella, if you could pm me some contacts that would be great. Or if you prefer to have my details and pass them on let me know Any idea how much a permit might cost? I don't want to set up a farm per se... but would be interested in having a little self sustaining population for my own enjoyment if that's possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Crayfish have a 'quota' of 50 per day per person, usually for eating. Quite how you would find 50 I do not know! Not where I look anyway. Quite safe to take them, but as always, NOT from protected (DOC etc) land. NOT from areas the iwi have exclusive fishing rights (Taupo, Te Arawa(I think, sp?) and of course preferably from where the population seems healthy. Legally you need DOC permission to return things to the streams they came from (risk of introducing diseases). You are allowed to take them for aquariums without a permit. I got the full legal stuff done for me through DOC recently, but I need to trawl through 10 pages of legalese before I can come up with a simplified working guide. There is some interesting (if complex) scientific papers on nz crayfish on google scholar. A little on how they breed and the differences between north and south. I imagine the tech (nth of auck.) would be farming north island crays and therefore legal gymnastics would be required to get them down there, but I will find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricketman Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 i know for a fact that sea crayfish (red lobsters) and snapper, you HAVE to have a cert etc from MAF. as pointed out, it is illegal to take freshwater crays from taupo, rotorua lakes etc, unless you can get iwi consent for the area your fishing. which means talking to the tangata kaitiaki and filling out a form, pretty simple, and its not restricted just to Maori or people from the local iwi as to how you get them... traditionally a branch is placed in the water, leaves and all, left for a day or so, then you pull the branch in and apparently they holdon or summin but thats how i was told. or you buy me macdonalds and ill go for a dive lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted January 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 Thanks for the info... Stella don't go to any trouble on my account.. but I'm sure if you came up with a guide at some point Caryl would love to put it into the magazine. I might make a few enquiries myself. What did you need permits for yourself if you don't mind me asking I think I found references to a few farms in the area when I was looking for info a while back.. well I mean within driving distance. Maybe I should just call and ask to buy a pair and see what happens. I'm not quite ready to have them yet anyway.. but I'm definitely interested. There was one in Kaikoura I think.. but I think there was one closer to.. a salmon farm that has gotten into breeding Koura as well. (Maybe I should make friends with someone who owns a seafood restaurant. but again.. I wonder if they keep their females cause it sounds like the Koura farming industry is still in its infancy and that males are more trouble than they're worth !) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted January 2, 2008 Report Share Posted January 2, 2008 I WOULD! I WOULD! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[email protected] Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 I have a sth island koura which is noted that thay are larger than their north island cuzzies ...went out into the local streams and found a few of the north island species both rearing in the same tank doing well with my mystus catfish bronzies and tadpoles and a frog.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jn Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 jealous jealous jealous!! where did your SI one come from? One type is also 'hairier' than the other.. though I can't remember which! Can you tell by looking at yours? Are you able to sex them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss_boy86 Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 i wouldnt midn a contact to buy from mahurangi tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godly3vil Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 :digH: This thread is over 6 years old haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ss_boy86 Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 LMAO shows how much attention i was paying, no idea how i found it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted March 19, 2014 Report Share Posted March 19, 2014 mahurangi tech - 09-425 8493 call 'em and chat otherwise try PM stella, if she has time she might be able to help you out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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