An invasive crustacean described as one of the world香蕉视频直播檚 top-10 unwanted species has made its way to Blackie Spit in South Surrey 香蕉视频直播� as well as other nearby marine habitats 香蕉视频直播� and efforts are underway to curtail its spread.

The European Green Crab 香蕉视频直播渨ill eat anything that fits in its mouth,香蕉视频直播� Lori Schlechtleitner 香蕉视频直播� a biologist/ecologist contracted by Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society to set up a local management program 香蕉视频直播� said Sept. 25, during field work in Blackie Spit.

And that non-discriminating palate, along with a high resiliency to water temperatures and salinity and a distinct lack of predators to keep them in check, is bad news for native species.

香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檝e got to respect it for being so incredibly adaptive,香蕉视频直播� Schlechtleitner said of the spiny crab. 香蕉视频直播淏ut it does have the potential to decimate.香蕉视频直播�

The crab, which can range in colour from dark mottled green to orange, is native to European and North African coastlines, and was first found in Canadian waters in 1951. It香蕉视频直播檚 believed they arrived in B.C. between 1998 and 1999.

They are currently found along the entire west coast of Vancouver Island, and have an established population at the southern tip, in Sooke.

Schlechtleitner said a survey in early September just south of the border found 145 of the invasive crabs, while officials with DFO found 香蕉视频直播渏ust one or two香蕉视频直播� in Blackie Spit both last year and last month. She said the reason behind the discrepancy between the two sets of numbers is unclear.

What is clear is that their presence is a problem that can香蕉视频直播檛 be ignored. They have done substantial damage on Canada香蕉视频直播檚 East Coast, she said. Left unchecked here, they will predate everything from oysters to juvenile crabs to eelgrass beds 香蕉视频直播� a critical home for juvenile salmon 香蕉视频直播� and alter the local shoreline ecosystem and habitats.

香蕉视频直播淥n the Pacific Coast, they will brood up and eat the eelgrass beds, which is why we香蕉视频直播檙e really concerned,香蕉视频直播� Schlechtleitner said.

香蕉视频直播淥nce they start to take a leghold, that香蕉视频直播檚 when the ecosystem might not, unfortunately, make it back.香蕉视频直播�

Schlechtleitner and volunteer Dave Shorter香蕉视频直播檚 mission on Sept. 25 was to set a dozen traps in two channels that run through Blackie Spit香蕉视频直播檚 protected salt marsh. Baited with cat food and staked 10 metres apart, they were left overnight to see if any of the unwelcome, trapezoid-shaped creatures were present. None were found, Schlechtleitner told Peace Arch News in an emailed update on Sept. 30.

The results were the same for traps set in the Little Campbell River estuary, on Semiahmoo First Nation land, the week prior, as well as for traps set off the base of 64 Avenue on Sept. 29. More traps were set at Delta香蕉视频直播檚 Centennial Beach on Sept. 30.

The four locations were identified by DFO as priority management sites and will remain under close eye 香蕉视频直播渇or the foreseeable future,香蕉视频直播� Schlechtleitner said.

Schlechtleitner, who lives in Vancouver but grew up in Surrey, said for her, the effort is 香蕉视频直播渁 passion project.香蕉视频直播� It香蕉视频直播檚 hoped that community groups will get involved, perhaps by adopting channels to monitor, or walking wrack lines 香蕉视频直播� the line of debris left on the beach by high tide 香蕉视频直播� after trapping season is over, to look for molts on the beaches.

香蕉视频直播淭his is going to be a long-term management process,香蕉视频直播� Schlechtleitner said.

Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society has committed to the project for the long-term, society president Margaret Cuthbert noted.

香蕉视频直播淪ince we have mapped 86 hectares of eelgrass in Boundary Bay and conducted the DFO 3-5 year Shorekeepers (program) for over 15 years, our Marine Coordinator Matt Christensen and our Board of Directors agree we must now focus our volunteer activities and funds to this crucial concern,香蕉视频直播� Cuthbert told PAN by email.

READ MORE:

VIDEO:

The City of White Rock has contributed funding to the effort, Schlechtleitner noted, but more is needed.

The ultimate goal, she said, is for the management efforts to reap only native-species results.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 the goal of this project, is to not find what we香蕉视频直播檙e looking for.香蕉视频直播�

Anyone who spots one of the crabs 香蕉视频直播� they measure up to 10 cm across the back shell, and have three bumps between the eyes as well as five 香蕉视频直播渟pines香蕉视频直播� to the outside of each eye 香蕉视频直播� is asked to leave it where it is, but email a photo and details of its exact location (ideally, GPS co-ordinates) and the date it was observed to aispacific@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

tholmes@peacearchnews.com
Like us on and follow us on