Friends of Cortes Island would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers who helped with our European Green Crab Early Detection Monitoring this year, which finished for the season last week.

We undertook five separate trapping events in Mansons Lagoon, and we are very happy to report that no European Green Crabs were caught this year which is very good news.

European Green Crabs are considered one of the world’s worst invasive species. They can significantly damage shoreline ecosystems and harm important species and habitats including eelgrass beds.

The monitoring is funded by the Department of Oceans and Fisheries (DFO).

A special thank you to: Penny, Claude, Lee, Ruth, Sharon, Wendy, Melanie, Arlene and Autumn for volunteering; Christine Spice at DFO for training and support, and Darrian for trapping advice.

How you can help

IDENTIFY: Take a look at the attached brochure to learn how to correctly identify European Green Crabs, and keep your eyes open when you are on the beach. Remember that there are many types of crabs that are green in colour, but only the European Green Crab has 5 spines.

REPORT: If you think you have found a European Green Crab, please email a photo, date of observation and the location to DFO.AISPacific-EAEPacifique.MPOdfo-mpo.gc.ca

CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY Help stop the spread of invasive species: Please ensure you are not transporting European Green Crabs from one location to another. Completely clean, drain and dry your boats and gear before moving them.