Guest Column: Well-intentioned but misguided ideas about green crab

By Alexander Birk/Pacific Conservation District

At the Pacific Conservation District, European green crab are a common topic of discussion. In recent weeks, through Facebook posts, research publications and newspaper articles, we have seen an uptick in the public joining that conversation. We want to set the record straight about European Green Crab in Willapa Bay and respond to some of the misunderstandings we have seen.

For the uninitiated, European green crab are a noxious, invasive species present on both coasts of the United States that are infesting our own backyard: Willapa Bay. They are a small crab species with a huge appetite. They are considered ecosystem engineers — they massively alter any environment they are introduced to by preying upon massive quantities of native species and destroying crucial habitats like eel grass. Not only do these invaders pose a huge risk to the natural balance of Willapa Bay, but they threaten the livelihoods of those who rely on the bay.

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