Op jacht naar de Amerikaanse rivierkreeft in Nederland

Why is the “Amerikaanse rivierkreeft” a problem in the Netherlands?

The Amerikaanse rivierkreeft is an invasive crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) that arrived in Dutch waters via aquarium trade in the 1980s and has since exploded across the country’s canals, polders, and boezemwater. Tens of millions now live in places like the Delfland polder system, where they tunnel into dikes, eat aquatic plants, and disrupt the waterhuishouding (water management) the Netherlands depends on. The Dutch response has been to license commercial fishers and even encourage Dutch restaurants to put the species on the menu (Hollandse rivierkreeftjes), reframing the invasion as a culinary opportunity.

In this clip, NOS Jeugdjournaal explains: “Dit is de rode Amerikaanse rivierkreeft. En die horen hier eigenlijk niet thuis in Nederland, maar ze zitten er wel superveel.”