LA PUSH – European green crabs, a harmful invasive species, have been discovered on Washington’s North Central Coast near La Push for the first time.
Crews from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) removed 33 crabs in early August using traps and hand captures.
Chelsey Buffington, WDFW’s European green crab project lead, said the discovery was expected given the presence of the crabs in nearby areas like Makah Bay and Grays Harbor. These crabs pose a significant threat by damaging salmon spawning habitats and devouring local shellfish, which could impact the Pacific Northwest’s shellfish industries.
WDFW and other agencies removed over 285,000 European green crabs from Washington waters in 2023. Officials urge the public to report sightings of the crabs but discourage killing them, as they are often misidentified as native species.