Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society is proud to partner with Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada in our mission to protect Boundary Bay’s shoreline from invasive European Green Crab. A large component of our involvement with the European Green Crab (EGC) program is to raise awareness of the issue EGC poses to our ecosystems and how members of the public can get involved.
Biologists, Matthew Christensen and Megan Winand, presented our first EGC webinar on December 16, 2020 via Zoom to the public. It was heartening to see that this topic was of interest to almost 100 people! Thank you to those who joined us and to those who requested this recording. Please join our mailing list to ensure you get info about our 2021 webinars and volunteer opportunities.
Registered attendees were educated on the following topics:
How Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society preserves and restores Boundary Bay’s ecosystems and contributes to the community through our Environmental Education and Outreach Programs, Citizen Science Projects and, Habitat Enhancement Projects,
How to identify EGC,
How EGC was introduced to the West Coast, how it dispersed and where it is now,
What to do if you find one,
It’s impacts to our ecosystems,
What surveying efforts Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society has done to-date,
How members of the public can volunteer.
If you missed the webinar or would just like to review to learn more about any of these topics, please view the recording and some FAQs from participants at the event:
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: How do I distinguish EGC from native shore crabs?
A: The biggest thing to remember when determining whether the crab is EGC or native is the 5-3-5 approach. EGC have 5 points on either side of their eyes and 3 between their eyes. No other native crab in BC has this characteristic.
Q: What do I do if I find an EGC?
A: Take a photo, leave it where you found it and, email photos and detailed information about its location to AISPACIFIC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.
Q: Can you eat it?
A: While it is possible to eat EGC, to our knowledge Health Canada has not tested the crabs to ensure they are safe for consumption in the Pacific region (P. Menning Dec 2020).
Q: What steps are we taking to manage EGC in Boundary Bay?
A: We are trapping in areas known to have EGC and areas identified by Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) as suitable habitat. All captured EGC are either killed on site by a member from DFO or frozen for genetic testing.
Q: How do I help?
A: Since our program runs solely on volunteers, any help through donations, time in the field, or raising awareness of the project are greatly appreciated.
We are proud of the work we accomplished in 2020 especially considering the challenges facing our planet at this time and wish to thank once again our volunteers, partners and funders. More info on the EGC can be found on our Marine Projects Section of our website.
Volunteers:
A Rocha, Boundary Bay Parks Association, Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society volunteers David Shorter, Semiahmoo Secondary School teacher Kristy Harrison and student Steven Chen, Semiahmoo First Nation members, Surrey SHaRP, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Sea Grant Washington, University of Washington, College of the Environment (WSG).
And in appreciation of FOSBS 2020 Beach Hero Interpreter Lori Schlechtleitner, who took on coordination of the project with diligence and enthusiasm.
Partners (listed alphabetically)
BC Naturalists Foundation
BC Nature | Federation of BC Naturalists
City of Surrey SHaRP Team
City of White Rock
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Port of Vancouver
Project Learning Tree Canada
Semiahmoo First Nation
University of Washington College of the Environment