October 14, 2026 — More than 2 million invasive green crabs were captured in Washington state from July 2025 to June 2026, smashing previous records.
More European green crabs were trapped in those 12 months than in all previous years combined since the pinchy invaders were first documented in Washington state in 1998.
“We’ve seen some pretty dramatic increases,” said aquatic invasive species researcher Brian Turner, who’s with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “It’s not good news.”