A multi-agency effort is ongoing to combat the problem of invasive European Green Crabs in Washington seas.
According to fresh estimates from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, over one million European green crabs were trapped and destroyed in 2024.
The majority of those crabs were removed from Willapa Bay and Grays Harbor on the southern Washington coast.
The North Puget Sound Region has seen a drop in green crab catch numbers due to intensive trapping by WDFW, tribes, shellfish growers, and partners.
The map below shows where European Green Crabs were discovered in 2024 by the Department’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Division staff. The blue dots show regions where green crabs were not found, whereas the red dots indicate where they were located.
