The battle against invasive European green crabs in Washington has stepped up with the release of a strategic six-year management plan. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) detailed the new framework designed to curb the spread of these detrimental crustaceans, potentially harmful to the state's shellfish, habitats, and coastal economies, according to a recent announcement by WDFW.
Justin Bush, the state’s EGC emergency Incident Commander, expressed optimism in the release by WDFW, “We’re excited to present our six-year management plan for green crab to tackle this significant threat to Washington’s ecosystems and coastal communities.” The plan, developed through extensive collaboration with various stakeholders, outlines controls including early detection, rapid response, and ongoing trapping efforts. Approximately $12 million in funding for 2023-2025 has primarily been allocated to tribes, conservation districts, and shellfish growers to support these initiatives.
Effective October 1, the European Green Crab 2025-2031 Management Plan for Washington replaces an older action plan and covers three biennia, reinforcing the state's determination in this ecological struggle. Since the emergency proclamation by Gov. Jay Inslee in 2022, more than a million green crabs have been eradicated, with over 450,000 removed this year alone, largely from Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor. These numbers reflect an intense campaign by WDFW and its partners to address a situation that Chelsey Buffington, WDFW’s European Green Crab Project Lead, described as "a difficult challenge requiring a long-term, collaborative approach."
Public awareness and involvement also feature prominently in the plan, mirroring the approach that leans towards community engagement and local management. Coastal community members and stakeholders will have the opportunity to learn more about the management plan, at an open house event on Sept. 30 in Pacific County. Spurring public engagement, an interactive map with updated catch counts has been made available online through the WDFW’s European Green Crab Hub.
WDFW has also issued a call to action for citizens to report sightings via their website or the WA Invasives app. The department has stressed that although green crabs are prohibited invasive species, the public should not attempt to kill them due to the risk of mistaken identity with native crab species.
