What you need to know about catching and cooking crayfish in Edmonton [Video]

If you’re looking for fresh shellfish in Edmonton, you need not look further than the North Saskatchewan River.

Northern crayfish can be found in several of Edmonton’s waterways, and like lobster or crab, they taste great with a bit of butter and salt.

While the species is native to the Beaver River watershed on the eastern Alberta border, it is listed as an invasive species by the Government of Alberta. 

It’s suspected that the prawn-sized crustacean made its way into other Alberta watersheds, including the North Saskatchewan, in the 1990s as live bait being dumped into rivers and lakes.

Wild food guide Kevin Kossowan said crayfish first appeared on his radar around 10 years ago.

“I learned that they were an invasive species and weren’t where they were supposed to be, and that you could catch them as much as you’d like,” Kossowan said. “In fact, you were doing the ecosystem a favour if you did.”

Unlike other aquatic species, …