European Green Crab Turn Up In Kitsap County

SEATTLE (AP) – An invasive European green crab was captured in Hood Canal, the farthest south the species has been found in the Salish Sea. The Seattle Times reports volunteers with Washington Sea Grant trapped the male European green crab this week in Nick’s Lagoon near Seabeck in Kitsap County. The organization has been tasked by the state with early detection of the crab’s spread. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will increase trapping there to assess the scope of the green crab presence and try to locally eradicate the species. The crab preys on juvenile clams before they reach harvestable age, out-competes native crab species, and wreaks havoc on marine and estuary ecosystems.