European green crab management: field updates and partner highlights from 2025
While higher catch can be attributed in part to increased effort by more partners, co-managers, and tribes, the overall pattern shows an increase in green crab in several locations.
This blog highlights work by European green crab (EGC or green crab) co-managers, tribes, and partners throughout 2025, including new detections of the invasive crabs in Possession Sound and Similk Bay, as well as highlighting the people behind the scenes of EGC management.
Report sightings of suspected European green crabs at wdfw.wa.gov/greencrab.
More information and management updates are also available on our European green crab species webpage.
Since the start of the 2025 trapping season early last year, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and more than 50 co-managers, tribes, and partners, have been working together to remove invasive European green crabs from Washington’s waters and slow their spread.
More than 348,823 trap set days were deployed across coastal areas (including Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay, and the Columbia River estuary) and Washington’s portion of the Salish Sea (including Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Georgia) in 2025.
Collectively, more than 1,076,618 green crabs were removed from coastal waters and 19,582 from Salish Sea waters. The total was 1,096,169 green crabs removed in 2025. That is slightly more than were removed in 2024.
Warming water temperatures likely played a big role in the increase in the number of green crabs caught. The warmer water helped green crab populations grow all along the West Coast and meant higher catches in several Washington marine areas. It also led to new detections in places where green crabs had not been found before.
Adapting their management approach based on observations from previous years, many partners kept trapping later into the winter. The last two seasons, green crab have been showing up in higher numbers later in the season than previous years, so extending the trapping season into the fall and early winter helped contribute to the increased catch for 2025.
In the Salish Sea Branch, the number of green crabs removed was higher in 2025 than in 2024, and green crabs showed evidence of increased geographic expansion. While there were new detections in North Puget Sound’s Whidbey Basin and in South Central Puget Sound, there have been no southern expansions beyond the southern tip of Whidbey Island or Admiralty Inlet.
In Hood Canal, there was a slight expansion south, with new detections in Races Cove and Anderson Cove, but no green crab has been found south of Holly in central Kitsap County.
While higher catch can be attributed in part to increased effort by more partners, co-managers, and tribes, the overall pattern shows an increase in green crab present in several locations in Washington’s marine waters.
On the Washington Coast, green crab removal numbers remained relatively consistent with what we saw in 2024, with some slight decreases in many coordination areas along the coast and a slight increase in catch in Grays Harbor. While there are not strong indications of geographic expansion along the coast, there was some upriver expansion in the lower Columbia River estuary, with new detections at Chinook County Park in Pacific County.
By the end of 2025, there were more than 50 co-managers, tribes, and partners doing EGC work across Washington state. This network and coverage will continue to grow into 2026 thanks to sustained state funding and new federal funding from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Partners’ trapping efforts are strategic, efficient, and well-coordinated thanks to the dedication of individual groups and support from Regional Coordination Groups, which are now operating in seven areas.
Since January 2022, when a state emergency order was declared directing agencies, tribes, and partners to prioritize management of invasive green crabs, more than 2.8 million EGC have been captured and removed from Washington waters, most from Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, Makah Bay, and select areas of the Salish Sea.
While the 2025 season brought higher catches in several areas, Washington remains in the early stages of invasion compared to the U.S. East Coast, where green crabs have been present for centuries, in far greater densities, and have had significant, documented ecological and economic impacts.
This year’s results across Washington’s marine waters reinforce that sustained trapping pressure works — especially when applied consistently — to slow the spread of European green crabs and control their numbers.
In areas such as Willapa Bay, Makah Bay, and parts of Grays Harbor, intensive management led to a decrease in Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE), even in known green crab hot spots. Green crab partners are reporting higher female-to-male ratios and smaller gravid females, signaling that trapping is having an impact on the green crab population. While 2025 highlighted the green crab’s ability to adapt and proliferate, it also showcased the collective strength of Washington’s green crab co-managers, tribes, and partners, and that with stable resources and consistent pressure, we can suppress local populations.
With continued momentum and growing state and federal support, Washington is well-positioned to keep European green crab numbers below damaging levels and protect aquaculture, treaty-protected resources, marine ecosystems, and the broader coastal economy.
Map of European green crab detections in 2025
A larger version of this map is available on WDFW’s website.
European green crab management is truly a collaborative effort that requires close partnership and coordination. We are grateful to all our co-managers, tribes, and partners, as well as other colleagues and the public who are keeping an eye out for this harmful invasive species.
Continue reading for highlights on green crab management in Washington.
The following sections are meant to highlight the hard work of dozens of co-managers, tribes, and partners working to manage and control EGC populations in Washington waters. The efforts described do not capture all the work done or all entities involved in EGC trapping and management.
For more information about the co-managers, tribes, and partners currently involved in EGC trapping or management, please visit the European Green Crab Hub.
New detection by the Tulalip Tribes in Possession Sound
Tulalip Tribes Natural Resource Department detected the first EGC confirmed in Possession Sound and Whidbey Basin.
This August, the Tulalip Tribes beach seining crew made a significant discovery just off the shores of Mission Beach in Possession Sound, located in Snohomish County northwest of Everett. They discovered the first confirmed live male European green crab inside waters east of Whidbey Island in what’s known as Whidbey Basin.
Whidbey Basin includes Possession Sound, Port Susan, Port Gardner, and Skagit Bay. This finding marked a new detection in a previously unconfirmed location, prompting swift action from the Tulalip Tribes.
Todd Gray and the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department launched a large-scale blitz trapping event, partnering with the WDFW, the Washington Conservation Corps, and other tribal departments to deploy traps and beach survey crews to determine if additional EGC were in the area, and if so, quickly remove as many as possible.
The Tulalip Tribes have long been vigilant in monitoring their waters for signs of European green crab. Trapping efforts will continue as part of the Tribes’ commitment to protecting their marine environments.
For questions or to learn more about their invasive species work, you can reach out to the Tulalip Tribes at invasives@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov. To learn more about the Tulalip Tribes’ first confirmed green crab, refer to their video.
Tracking the invasive European green crab in Similk Bay: a collaborative effort
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community worked with WDFW and Washington Sea Grant to trap green crabs in northern Whidbey Basin east of Deception Pass.
In early September 2025, a sharp-eyed volunteer working with both Washington Sea Grant (WSG) and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community made a notable discovery, a molt of an EGC in the northern Similk Bay, located in Skagit County southeast of Anacortes. This finding marked a potential new detection in a previously unconfirmed location, prompting swift action from the Swinomish Tribe.
Following the molt discovery, the Swinomish Tribe launched a rapid response trapping assessment using ten traps. Fortunately, no live EGCs were detected during this initial effort. But the molt was enough to raise concern and mobilize a broader response.
On Oct. 1 and 2, the Swinomish Tribe joined forces with Washington Sea Grant and WDFW for a coordinated trapping operation across northern Similk Bay. This collaborative effort deployed 108 traps and successfully removed five live EGC.
The following week, the Swinomish Tribe again led an expanded trapping campaign across northern Similk Bay; this intensive effort involved 235 trap sets and yielded seven additional EGC. In total, the collaborative trapping effort yielded twelve EGC removed from northern Similk Bay. Trapping will continue in this area during 2026.
This series of detections underscores the importance of vigilant monitoring and rapid response in managing invasive species. The teamwork between tribal, state, and academic partners continues to be a powerful force in protecting Washington’s coastal ecosystems.
For more information on green crab tapping in Similk Bay by Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and partners, refer to Washington Sea Grant’s news release or the Swinomish qyuuqs Newsletter (page 18).
Collaborative trapping in Hood Canal
In 2025, WDFW initiated the Hood Canal Regional Coordination Group, bringing together 17 local partner organizations working on EGC management. The group meets quarterly to share key updates, including green crab catch data, new detection and response plans, future planning priorities, and opportunities for collaborative trapping efforts.
Building on this coordination, WDFW and WSG co-hosted a trapper training event in June 2025 in Hood Canal, attended by seven groups from both the Hood Canal Regional Coordination Group and other partners from across the state. The training included classroom instruction on the fundamentals of green crab trapping, followed by a hands-on field component where participants practiced setting and checking traps, identifying green crabs, and collecting biometric data.
Hood Canal area partners expanded trapping over 30% during the 2025 field season, increasing both the scale of traps deployed and the geographic coverage throughout the canal. The increase in trapping coverage was driven by enhanced capacity brought by the Skokomish Indian Tribe’s Green Crab Program and deepening partnerships with local oyster growers, such as Rock Point Oyster and Taylor Shellfish. This expanded trapping resulted in new EGC detections at nine sites — five of which had never been trapped previously, and heavy trapping at high-density “hot spots” like Tarboo Bay and Dabob Broad Spit.
Willapa-Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association trapping update from the coast
In Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, members of the Willapa-Grays Harbor Oyster Growers Association (WGHOGA) — a coalition of local shellfish growers partnering with WDFW on EGC management — continued intensive trapping to remove invasive green crabs. WGHOGA crews coordinate closely with WDFW, WSG, Pacific Conservation District, Grays Harbor County Conservation District, and other partners and researchers to trap shellfish beds and other likely habitats in Washington’s two largest coastal bays.
As part of the end-of-season review, WDFW recently spoke with David Beugli, Executive Director of WGHOGA, to gather updates and insights on emerging trends. David shared the following observations:
“WGHOGA continues to vigorously trap and remove European green crabs daily.
In Grays Harbor, two to three shellfish farms on average deploy roughly 60 to 150 pots monthly. The level of effort and number of pots vary seasonally, with efforts stopping or dropping off heavily during the mid- to late-winter months. Farmers are reporting lower numbers [of EGC trapped] in the winter months, with increased landings as the season progresses. While efforts are concentrated on privately-owned shellfish beds, trappers have to adjust depths as the seasons change.
In Willapa Bay, between six and eight farmers are trapping monthly. On average, these farms are deploying 300 to 450 pots with numbers fluctuating depending on weather patterns, ability to safely reach the tidelands, and EGC landings. The landings and trapping efforts somewhat mirror what farmers in Grays Harbor are reporting, however protected areas of the Bay, just east of Long Beach Peninsula, saw extremely large catches into and through December.
Overall, farmers were reporting gravid females [female crabs with eggs attached] in very low numbers as early as January 2025, depending on the trapping location and depth. Gravid numbers continue to slowly increase in the winter, with farmers feeling that 2025 gravid detections have increased earlier in the season than in years past. Farmers reported gravid females present in the coastal waters from January to June, with peak detections in April. Due to increased EGC detections in South Willapa Bay, trapping efforts are expected to increase in that location due to the value placed on removing EGC in areas of the bay with slower water exchange rates, resulting in greater chances of larval retention.
As 2025 closed, the WGHOGA trapping partners from Grays Harbor and Willapa have removed 42,548 and 620,376 EGC, respectively.
Many partners are working in both Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay. In 2025, a total of 166,643 and 903,905 EGC were removed from Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, respectively! WGHOGA farmers and trappers removed 26% of the EGC from Grays Harbor and 69% from Willapa Bay in 2025.”
2025 Trends from Washington Sea Grant early-detection monitoring program
Washington Sea Grant (WSG)’s European green crab early‑detection monitoring program has been at the forefront of invasive species surveillance since 2015. Their team continues to play a crucial role in gathering high‑quality data on native shellfish and intertidal communities, helping partners across the region understand how ecosystems are changing in real time.
WSG’s network of early-detection sites operated by their Crab Team volunteers, as well as their Molt Search community science beach monitoring effort in partnership with WSU Extension, each support early-detection monitoring and free up WDFW staff and resources to focus on removal trapping, rapid response to new detections, and other EGC management tactics. We remain deeply grateful for their ongoing collaboration with European green crab trapping efforts along both the Coast and the Salish Sea.
Refer to the links below to explore WSG’s 2025 updates on their website:
- 2025 Salish Sea Green Crab Summary — Washington Sea Grant
- 2025 Washington Coast Green Crab Summary — Washington Sea Grant
Western Washington University highlights Makah Tribe green crab trapping
Dawson Little, an EGC biologist with the Makah Tribe’s Fisheries Management Marine Ecology Division and a graduate student at Western Washington University (WWU), is investigating whether river otters could serve as a natural control for the invasive crabs threatening coastal ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest. His research focuses on analyzing otter scat to determine if green crabs are part of their diet, which could suggest that otters play a role in managing crab populations through predation.
This work contributes to a broader effort to develop sustainable, ecosystem-based strategies for addressing the green crab invasion, which endangers native species and commercial shellfish operations. By studying the feeding behavior of river otters and their interactions with green crabs, Little’s research could help inform future conservation approaches that leverage natural predator-prey dynamics to reduce ecological harm.
Refer to the WWU article to learn more.
Update on the National Congress of American Indians’ request for increased federal funding
This winter, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) adopted Resolution #SEA-25–020 calling for increased federal funding for tribal invasive species management. Adopted at the 82nd Annual Convention in Seattle, the resolution highlights EGC as a significant threat to tribal shellfish, eelgrass, salmon habitat, and coastal ecosystems. The resolution urges increased appropriations beginning in Federal Fiscal Year 2026 and coordinated federal–tribal action to address regional invasive species priorities such as EGC. The full resolution text available on NCAI’s website.
The WDFW team behind green crab management.
WDFW made strategic staffing moves in 2025 to bolster European green crab management efforts.
Raquel Crosier stepped into the role of EGC Incident Commander in spring 2025, taking the reins from Justin Bush, who was promoted to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Division Manager. Lindsey Parker advanced to EGC unit lead, coordinating trapping, monitoring, and other WDFW field efforts, while Rachel Flannery took on the role of EGC permitting and report coordinator, supporting logistics, reports, and connections between field work, policy, science, and communications.
During the 2025 field season, the team welcomed Micah Mitchell as the regional biologist for North Puget Sound and Kaitlyn Romero as the new Coastal Region biologist. Natalie Otto remains the European green crab regional biologist for Hood Canal and Central/South Sound.
The scientific backbone of our EGC response remains under the leadership of Brian Turner, Ph.D., who continues to coordinate the EGC Research Task Force. Communications efforts received a boost with Mikaela Legarsky, MS., joining the team in September as our dedicated communications specialist. We are also supported by staff from the Washington Invasive Species Council, including Jessica La Belle, who assists with meetings, forums, and coordination among partners, tribes, and state agencies.
To contact WDFW’s European green crab management and field team, please email ais@dfw.wa.gov with a description of your request and your location, and we will connect you with the appropriate staff person.
Background information: How to identify European 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 WDFW European green crab webpages and online hub, as well as a Crabs of Washington identification guide
People are often surprised by how small these crabs are — the average green crab WDFW captures is around two inches across the shell. They can get up to four inches wide, much smaller than mature Dungeness or red rock crabs. In Washington, the European green crab is most often confused with the native hairy shore crab, helmet crab, or kelp crab.
Beachgoers, waders, clam and oyster harvesters, and people crabbing off docks or piers in shallow areas are most likely to encounter green crabs. Recreational shrimpers or crabbers operating in deep water are unlikely to catch them.
Rules and 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 European green crab. This is to protect native crabs, which are often misidentified.
More information on European green crab regulations is available on WDFW’s webpage and in the Washington Sport Fishing Rules.
Under Washington regulations, prohibited invasive species may be killed and retained if you are certain about species identification and assume responsibility for correct identification and adherence to state fishing rules.
Targeting European green crabs with traps requires a permit from WDFW. If you own or manage shellfish beds, beaches, or tidelands, support and permits for European green crab control may be available. Learn more by contacting ais@dfw.wa.gov.
