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The marbled crayfish was first recognised in 1995, when a biology student bought a bag of crayfish – sold to him as “Texas crayfish” – from American traders at a pet fair in Frankfurt.
After becoming a burden to their new owner due to their inexplicably rapid rate of reproduction, he distributed them to friends who, in turn, dumped them in rivers, lakes and toilets, from where they spread rapidly, throughout Germany, much of mainland Europe and most profusely, the island of Madagascar, home to unique but extremely delicate freshwater ecosystems.
In Germany, where the marbled crayfish have invaded lakes and rivers, authorities have adopted a strict approach to them.
“In one year alone, I caught 42,000 of them. I was seen as a bit of a saviour, even if I say it myself,” he says. He could get €13 per kg of swamp crayfish, and received a €7 top-up from the senate. Berlin restaurants snapped up the crustaceans, serving them up to diners as the novel “Berlin lobster”.
