BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The quest to capture invasive European green crabs is off and running in Blaine.

The Northern Light reports around 30 crabs have been caught around Drayton Harbor since March 31 when the 2025 trapping season began.

Last year, scientists captured 535 green crabs in the area, the highest number on record.

The green crab was first discovered on the Washington coast in the 1980s and has slowly moved northward since.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife says the species causes serious ecological and economic damage by consuming eelgrass, bivalve mollusks, crustaceans and other native species. That appetite has already been implicated in historic declines of commercial bivalves in the eastern U.S. and maritime Canada.

If you are interested in helping trap European green crabs, Washington Sea Grant’s Crab Team and WSU Extension are hosting a free training program at Birch Bay State Park on May 10.

A link to register for the event can be found here.