Does redclaw farming offer competition to native animals for natural food?
Farmed redclaw are fed regularly and farmed in purpose built ponds from which native animals are excluded. Is it true that there is an infestation of redclaw in water impoundments throughout the State and that they have a detrimental effect on native fish stocks? Legislation requires all redclaw ponds to be fenced to prevent escape of redclaw into adjacent waterways. It is a fact however, that many impoundments do abound with redclaw much to the delight of recreational fishers. How this happened is not clear, but at this time there is no evidence of redclaw having an impact upon other marine life populations in impoundments whether native or stocked.
