The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that two national aquatic animal suppliers were convicted in multiple Wisconsin county courts for repeatedly shipping illegal invasive species despite warnings. In March and April 2025, the North Carolina and Indiana companies each faced 20 citations for shipping invasive species to customers in eight Wisconsin counties. One company was convicted in Barron, Brown, Chippewa, Marinette, Milwaukee, Sauk, Sheboygan, and Washington counties, while the other was convicted solely in Brown County Circuit Court. Lt. Robert Stroess of the DNR stated that investigations began two years ago when educational outreach efforts revealed continued shipments to Wisconsin. Conservation Wardens Sam Haferkorn and Ryan Caputo found suspected invasive crayfish being shipped by the defendants. Non-native crayfish are banned in Wisconsin due to disease risks, their competitive edge over native species, and high remediation costs.
Native Wisconsin crayfish include:
- Devil crayfish (Cambarus diogenes)
- Calico crayfish (Orconectes immunis or Faxonius immunis)
- Northern Clearwater crayfish (Orconectes propinquus or Faxonius propinquis)
- Virile crayfish (Orconectes virilis or Faxonius virilis)
- White River crayfish (Procambarus acutus)
- Prairie crayfish (Procambarus gracilis)
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