Emergency measures taken to control invasive European green crabs

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Washington state officials said emergency measures are being taken to control invasive European green crabs on the Washington coast and at sites within the Salish Sea.

Officials noted the Washington State Emergency Management Division has taken on responding to the arrival of European green crab response as a formal mission following Governor Jay Inslee’s emergency proclamation in January.

The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is a globally damaging invasive species that poses a threat to native shellfish, eelgrass, and estuary habitat critical for salmon and many other species.

The Washington State Legislature appropriated $8.568 million in funding for European green crab emergency measures in the 2022 Supplemental Operating Budget, which followed previous state funding of $783,000 in 2020 and $2.3 million in 2021 to control European green crabs.

With the emergency order and funding, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has been working with tribes, other state and federal agencies, as well as shellfish growers and private tidelands owners, to establish a coordinated response, hire and deploy personnel, and purchase and distribute equipment to areas with known green crab infestations.

State officials said three boats, nearly a dozen new employees, and more than 700 specialized traps have been deployed this spring, with more on the way.

More than 64,000 European green crabs have been removed from Washington waters in 2022 as of June 11.

Native to western Europe, these shore crabs are typically found in shallow areas, estuaries, and mud flats, and may be present on both public and private tidelands. They arrived on the West Coast in San Francisco Bay by 1989 and were first detected on the Washington Coast in low numbers in 1998.

European crabs were recently detected in Hood Canal by Washington Sea Grant, and 13 additional crabs were removed from the Seabeck area through rapid response trapping. European green crabs have not been detected in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet.

If a member of the public finds a suspected European green crab or its shell in Washington, they are asked to take a picture and report it as soon as possible. Crab identification guides and an online reporting form are available at wdfw.wa.gov/greencrab.

Reports can also be submitted using the WA Invasives app, or by contacting ais@dfw.wa.gov.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is not asking the public to keep or kill suspected green crabs because they can be mistaken identification of native crabs.

Beachgoers, anglers, recreational crabbers, and others are also asked not to tamper with European green crab traps, which are often deployed in shallow areas exposed at low tide and are typically identified with a bright orange buoy and an official tag or permit.