KarlMueller;LummiNatural Resources Above: Northwest IndianCollege intern and Lummifishet man DanielWashington sets a trap for European green crab on reservation tidelands, Right:A male European green crab Megan Hintz,LummiNaturalResources was captured on a Lummibeach Oct. 8. Invasive Green Crab Found on Lummi Beaches After invasive European green crab Before now, European green crab had a widespread trapping program, assessing were found last fall near Blame, the only been found a few at a time in traps in possible impacts to local species and hab Lummi Nation acted quickly to deter North Puget Sound. However, more than itats, recruiting volunteers, and availing mine whether the non-native species had 200 have been trapped on Dungeness Spit outreach and education materials to the reached tribal beaches. in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The Makah Lummi community.” Days after 17European green crab were Tribe has trapped more than 1,000Euro Members of the public are encouraged found in Drayton Harbor by the Wash pean green crab near its reservation each to keep an eye out for European green ington Department of fish and Wildlife year for the past two years. crab, but should not attempt to remove and the Washington Sea Grant (WSG) “Managing aquatic invasive species or kill them. Despite the name, European Crab Team, Lummi Natural Resources like the European green crab is similar to green crab can be other colors. Likewise, Department staff set 30 traps on reser preventing wildfires,” said Emily Grason, native shore crabs can have similar mark vation tidelands over two nights. They marine ecologist and WSG Crab Team ings or colors as the invasive species. captured 36 European green crab in two program manager. “We keep a sharp Invasive European green crab are most locations in Lummi Bay. lookout and respond quickly to small pop easily identified by fivedistinct spines on The high catch rate on Lummi Reser ulations before they get too big to control. the shell beside the eyes. They can grow vation tidelands is a concern to natural When even a single green crab is found, up to about three inches across — bigger resources managers. the first step is to quickly do more trap than most native shore crabs, but not as

“European green crab are pernicious ping to figure out the size and geographic big as Dungeness crabs. — K. Neurneyer burrowers,” said Karl Mueller, Lummi extent of a potential population. Then we shellfish biologist. “There is a very real have more information to determine the concern about them colonizing here, be best way to manage them.” Ifyou think you’ve found a green crab, cause of the potential for habitat destruc The Lummi Natural Resources Depart tion and competition with or predation on ment sent the trapped European green record the date and time of the finding small native crab species such as juvenile crab to the Crab Team for genetic analysis and take a photo. Dungeness.” in hopes of determining the source popu In addition, European green crab can lation of the invasive species. On the Lummi Reservation, send the uproot eelgrass beds in estuaries, degrad “Wewill continue sampling European photo to Karl Mueller (KarIM@lummi-nsn. ing important rearing habitat for juvenile green crab on reservation tidelands to gov) or Nick Jefferson (N/cho/as]@/um salmon. improve our understanding of the geo mi-nsn.gov). The Crab Team has coordinated a graphic distribution of the crab and the regionwide early detection effort since age or size structure of the population,” Off reservation, send the photo to the 2015.In partnership with the state, several Mueller said. “In addition, over the winter WSG Crab Team at [email protected]. tribes and volunteers, the Crab Team is months, Lummi Natural Resources will monitoring more than 50 sites in hopes of formalize a response plan, which may For more information: preventing invasive European green crab include partnering with regional experts wsg.washington.edu/crabteam from establishing populations here. like the WSG Crab Team, implementing

Winter 2020 - Northwest Treaty Tribes 3 Apublication of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Northwest Treaty Tribes Protecting Natural Resources for Everyone Winter 2020 nwtteatytribes.org

Inside: • Low Chum Returns Close Fisheries • Invasive Green Crab Found in North Sound • Partnerships Benefit Salmon Habitat • Increased Water Sampling Leads to Ctam Harvest • Prairie Restoration Provides CuLturalResources • Instant Hatchery Boosts Egg Production

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