Importance
As well as being one of the most important recreational fisheries in New Zealand, Crays are also one of our most valuable commercial exports. Live crayfish fetch big bucks on the Asian and American markets, and there are plenty of New Zealanders making a living meeting this demand.
99.9999% of commercial Crays are caught in pots, but a very select few still harvest by hand.
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At this stage they are extremely vulnerable to predators and you cannot harvest them. It takes a little while for the shell to harden fully and it can be difficult to distinguish what constitutes a soft or hard shell. This judgement is usually at the discretion of the individual fisheries officer.
It takes about seven years for a cray to reach sexual maturity and they may live up to 30 years. Females produce eggs which they hold under their tail before releasing them as larvae. All females tend to be in berry at the same time and it's obviously best to leave them alone during this period.
The boys are still fair game though, and you can tell them apart without grabbing them by looking at the size of their 'killer claws' which are much bigger in males.
A Juvenile Crayfish
The two collection methods. Hand and a Crayfish pot.