2nd Chinese (mitten) Crab Found in Chesapeake Bay

[jpak]

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2006/aug/08/080806859.html

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Maryland biologists confirmed that a second Chinese mitten crab has been found in the Chesapeake Bay, heightening worries the invasive species may have a foothold in the bay.

The second crab was found more than a year ago in the Patapsco River, the same river where the first Chinese mitten crab was confirmed. A volunteer park ranger caught the crab last year and came forward after seeing reports of the other Chinese mitten crab.

The ranger, Steve Takos, contacted the state Department of Natural Resources, which confirmed it as a second example of the invader.

"It was exactly the same thing. The same mittens and everything, but bigger than the one in the paper," Takos told The (Baltimore) Sun. "I'm sure there are others out there."

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[SpiralHawk]

1. They can be erradicated with generous doses of lemon and butter

and a wee bit of steam (I hope).

[ixion]

2. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

eradication. :-)

[jpak]

3. I'm hoping the snakeheads get 'em

:evilgrin:

[SteppingRazor]

4. Bizarrely, mitten crabs are a pest here and in Europe...

while in their native land, people pay 100s of Yuan RMB for a mitten-crab dish. Weird world, eh?

[Dead_Parrot]

6. Hey, there's your solution...

Round 'em up and sell 'em back to China

Get rid of the crabs, and sort out that $8.4 trillion debt. :) You could even ship then for free on an empty Walmart freighter...

[SteppingRazor]

7. Heh ... China wouldn't even need to buy them...

they could just cancel some debt in return for free crabs.

Makes sense to me. After all, we traded nuclear technology to India for mangoes :crazy:

[Anakin Skywalker]

5. Grrr.....This is Most Annoying

How the heck did these get here? People who act irresponsibly (dumping non-native species, etc.) should be penalized.

[mcscajun]

8. The news story has one possibility, and it appears accidental.

State biologist Lynn Fegley said Monday it is still unclear whether mitten crabs are living and breeding in the Patapsco. Both crabs were males. The crabs likely were inadvertently carried by a ship's ballast, she said.

"Or we could have (mitten) crabs living here at very low populations, so they are not often detected," Fegley said. "That's the lesser of the possibilities, but it can't be ruled out."

(snip)

Rom Lipcius, a researcher at the Virginia Institute for Marine Science, said it's doubtful the mitten crab has established itself in the Chesapeake.

"We've done many, many surveys throughout the bay, and you'd think we'd have caught them" before, he said. "It's not likely that we have an actual resident viable population, but of course we're on the lookout."

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2006/aug/08/080806859.html

[Anakin Skywalker]

9. Thanks!

Ah. I should have clicked on the link and read the whole thing.

[Dead_Parrot]

10. It's a problem everywhere...

see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=115&topic_id=58839