Facing an ecological threat from invasive green crabs, New England communities are adopting a novel approach: turning the pests into a culinary resource. The strategy aims to mitigate the crabs’ destructive impact on local shellfish industries and coastal ecosystems.
Green crabs, originating from Europe and West Africa, have established a significant presence in New England since the 1980s. Their adaptability allows them to thrive in various marine environments, from intertidal zones to depths of 100 feet. Adrienne Pappal, habitat and water quality program manager for the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, noted, “They have a lot of ways to survive, and that’s why they’ve been really successful.”
The crabs’ voracious appetite poses a severe threat to native species, particularly soft-shell clams, a staple of the local shellfish industry. Story Reed, deputy director of the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), highlighted the issue: “On the North Shore, there are five towns that have done eradication programs that have been mostly funded through the state to pay fishermen to go out and try to eradicate these things,” Reed told Fox News Digital.
“We’ve recently heard from towns in the Cape Cod area who are also interested in eradication programs because they’re seeing impacts to their shellfish as well,” Reed added.
Fisherman Jamie Bassett of Chatham, Massachusetts, highlighted the reproductive capacity of green crabs, stating, “A gravid female– gravid meaning egg-bearing– can, I believe, disperse up to 180,000 eggs into the water.”
Bassett emphasized the long-term fight many New England communities and fishermen face regarding the rapidly multiplying intruders. “The issue of green crab as an invasive species is not going to go away,” he said. “One, because they reproduce so much. And two, because it’s just not a sought-after species.”
In response, entrepreneurs like Sharon St. Ours are exploring culinary uses for green crabs. St. Ours and his family, 45-year veterans of the regions seafood industry, have developed a green crab broth, describing it as “really delicious” and “a lot sweeter than lobster broth.”
Her product debuted in March at the Seafood Expo North America trade show where it earned a spot as a finalist in the food service category. Although not yet profitable, the broth has garnered interest, with partial marketing funding from the DMF.
“I think it’s the creativity, the willingness to try new species, both from [the] consumer’s perspective and from chefs in the culinary world,” Reed said. “It’s great that people are trying these different things.”
