The Europeans are invading.
The invasive European green crab, known for its potential to disrupt local ecosystems, has been detected in the Quillayute River estuary near La Push on the Olympic peninsula. This marks only the second time the European green crab has been found along Washington’s coast.
The European green crab is a small shore crab originally found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and Baltic Sea, with a range extending from the coasts of northern Africa to Norway and Iceland. Known for its strong predatory skills, this crab is particularly adept at opening bivalve shells and has been linked to significant damage in the U.S. East Coast’s soft-shell clam industry. Its wide-ranging diet also makes it a potential competitor for food resources needed by native fish and bird species.
The discovery was made during a joint survey conducted by the Quileute Tribe, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC), and Washington Sea Grant. The survey uncovered 33 invasive crabs in the North Coast Management Area.
Although the number of crabs found is relatively small, WDFW officials stress the importance of their removal to protect native shellfish, eelgrass, and estuary habitats from potential harm.
Officials said the presence of invasive crabs in the La Push area is not unexpected, given their established populations to the north in Makah Bay and to the south in Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. They added that this is an opportunity to keep European green crab numbers low to protect tribal, cultural, environmental and economic resources.
Since the beginning of the year, over 258,000 European green crabs have been removed from Washington’s waters, with the majority being found in Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor.
WDFW is urging the public to report any sightings of the European green crab or its shells. Those who believe they have encountered the invasive species are asked to take photos and report their findings at wdfw.wa.gov/greencrab.
The department advises against killing the crabs to avoid confusion with native species.
