Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang denied a petition this summer from the Ketchikan Indian Community which wanted the state to reclassify invasive European green crabs so that anybody could transport dead crabs for harvest or consumption.
Currently, the species can only be possessed or transported for scientific or educational purposes with a permit.
The commissioner said the state is determining how to best manage the invasive crab, and managers want to know more about the species’ distribution and how it impacts the environment before any changes in the rules.
In the meantime, Vincent-Lang said the state is looking at other options.
“Before we get into a creation of a control program, we have a lot to learn just on how much impact there is,” he said. “Whether there’s a cost benefit in trying to control the expansion, and if we control the expansion, how do we do that in a manner that doesn’t impact species that have commercial and economic value in the state?”
The Ketchikan Indian Community submitted its emergency petition to the Alaska Board of Fisheries in March.
“This isn’t an issue that’s going anywhere, and it seems to be largely ignored throughout much of the state,” said Emily Halsell, a fisheries and wildlife biologist with the Ketchikan Indian Community.
Halsell is leading a green crab monitoring and removal program, which officially went to work last fall. The tribe has removed about 1,500 green crabs from Ketchikan beaches so far this year.
In its petition to the state, the tribe cites the species’ damage to the ecosystem and economy. The adaptive critter can burrow and destroy eelgrass beds, which are nurseries for native species like Dungeness crabs and juvenile salmon. They can also compete with native crab species for the same resources.
“When these crabs come up and they tear up this critical marine habitat, there’s cascading population effects,” Halsell said. “Not to mention just impacts on our coastline in terms of erosion.”
The species was first detected in Alaska in 2022 on Annette Island, south of Ketchikan. They’ve since reached about 70 miles north on Etolin Island, south of Wrangell.
The crabs have established themselves in Washington state.
The number of green crabs detected in Southeast Alaska has increased. Last year, the Metlakatla Indian Community trapped more than 40,000 on Annette Island, a large increase from the prior year, despite almost the same number of traps.
The increase could be in part to the reproductive potential of female green crabs, Halsell said. The crabs can reproduce two or three times a year and can lay up to 180,000 eggs each time.
Other states on the West Coast have taken measures to protect the shellfish industry from the invasive crabs. Washington has earmarked state funds for green crab management efforts. And in Oregon, anyone can harvest 35 a day with a permit.
Halsell believes a change in how the crab is classified in Alaska, and opening a sport fishery for the shellfish, could help better manage their spread. She says right now, they can only be turned into compost by people who hold a permit.
“Until we can come up with a more useful way to process these crabs and turn them into a natural resource, I just can’t imagine too many people being inclined to go through the process,” Halsell said. “So, I’m trying to lessen those restrictions to make it easier for the general public to trap and use crabs.”
According to a letter from the commissioner’s office, the department, “does not believe there is food value in European green crabs due to their diminutive size.” The letter also said there is a lack of evidence that the crabs have contributed to changes in eelgrass habitat or caused changes in fish populations.
Despite denying the request, Vincent-Lang said he is concerned about the invasive species in Alaska. He said Fish and Game needs more time to discuss a potential green crab fishery with residents.
“I’m not opposed to the concept,” he said. “I just think it needs to be fleshed out a little bit more. … What does a fishery look like? What are the gear types that would be allowed, and what would happen with incidental harvests?”
Halsell said although she understands the state’s concerns, green crabs are not going away — and they’re making their way north.
“I’m trying to really impress upon people that this is something that concerns all of us, and we should all be on board with trying to keep them from absolutely decimating our environment.”
