06_2025_REELLIFE_digital - Flipbook - Page 38
Beginning around 2018,
state and federal agencies,
tribes, and partners began
to detect significant
increases in European
green crabs—likely linked
to warmer water conditions,
especially in 2021—in areas
including Willapa Bay, Grays
Harbor, Makah Bay, and
Lummi Bay. In just a matter
of years, green crabs in
these areas had exploded
from a few hundred to
tens of thousands of crabs;
necessitating emergency
control measures.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
GREEN CRABS
Don’t be fooled by the
name; European green
crabs can be green, red,
orange, brown, or yellow.
To identify them, look for
five spines or teeth on each
side of the shell. Guides
and tips for identification
are available from the
Washington Department of
Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
European green crab
webpages and Crabs of
Washington identification
guide, available online.
Since then, emerging
“hotspots” have also been
detected in Discovery Bay
and Drayton Harbor, as
well as smaller numbers
of crabs in northern Hood
Canal near Seabeck. Most
recently, green crabs were
detected in May 2025 near
Port Gamble. Thankfully,
European green crabs have
not yet been confirmed
south of Hood Canal and
Whidbey Island, including
no detections to date in
Puget Sound proper.
People are often surprised
by how small these crabs
are – the average green
crab captured by WDFW
is around 2 inches across
the shell. They can get up
to 4 inches wide, much
smaller than mature
Dungeness or red rock
crabs. In Washington state,
the European green crab is
most often confused with
the native hairy shore crab,
helmet crab, or kelp crab.
They typically live in areas
with less than 25 feet
of water. Beachgoers,
waders, clam and oyster
harvesters, and people
crabbing off docks or piers
in shallow areas are most
likely to encounter these
shore crabs. Recreational
shrimpers or crabbers
operating in deep water are
unlikely to catch them.
RULES & REGULATIONS
If you find a suspected
European green crab or its
shell in Washington, take
photos and report it as
soon as possible at wdfw.
wa.gov/greencrab or
through the Washington
Invasive Species
Council’s WA Invasives
mobile app. Depending
on the area, WDFW or
permitted partners will
follow up with trapping
to remove as many green
crabs as possible and slow
their spread. As a prohibited
invasive species, it is illegal
to possess a live European
green crab in Washington.
Currently, WDFW is not
asking the public to kill
suspected EGC.
