HALIFAX — April 11, 2014 — The federal government is looking at expanding a pilot project to help reduce the number of green crabs in Maritime waters, a measure that is being lauded by two fishermen groups in the region.
Known as the "cockroach of the sea," the green crab is an invasive species from Europe and northern Africa known for its aggressive and territorial behaviour. The crustacean can wreak havoc on other fisheries as it chows down on clams, mussels, oysters and scallops.
The Fisheries Department is proposing to offer 70 eel fishermen the opportunity to trade in their eel licences to catch green crabs in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
The department declined an interview request. But in an email, spokeswoman Krista Petersen said 30 commercial eel fishermen in southwestern Nova Scotia have swapped their licences to catch green grabs in a similar pilot project over the last three years.
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