West Somerset's first encounter with Soviet crabs
| Author: Clara Lawrie | Published: 1st April 2008 00:21 |
Story published: 1st April, 2008
The same storm that nearly destroyed Brian Debney's boat is thought to be responsible for the arrival of the first of what might end up being a plague in our waters. Whilst in the process of salvaging his boat from the recent floods at Porlock Weir, the Harbourmaster discovered a stow-away: a giant red crab.
First introduced to the Barents Sea off northern Russia in the 1960s, red king crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus) were spotted down western Norway in the 1990s. Some fear these massive crabs, native to Alaskan seas and the North Pacific could reach as far south as Spain and Portugal, devouring almost everything in their path.
Some fishing communities in northern Norway say the crab, the largest in the world, has already had a devastating impact. "The bloody things vacuum everything off the bottom of the sea, and all the fish are disappearing," one resident from the town of Kirkenes has said.
A spokesman for the WWF told AboutMyArea: "In Norway the crab's population has increased sixfold since 1995." The environmental group puts the current population "at around 12 million in the Barents Sea alone."
These crabs have few natural enemies, and are considered to be omnivore, digesting everything from cod larvae to other crabs. They can weigh up to 25lb and have a claw-span of more than three feet.
They were first transported to the Barents Sea in a plan hatched under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. The aim was to provide a new food source for people working in the frozen far north. Initial crab introduction attempts in the Barents Sea were unsuccessful, however. Scientists involved in the project say it wasn't until the 1960s, when only the biggest and strongest crabs were handpicked to make the journey to the U.S.S.R., that the crustacean became established.
A spokesman for the Somerset Wildlife Trust says: "So far we have no indication of what impact the crab will have on the native ecosystem and how serious any affects may be". He added: "We know very well what the crab eats, and that is almost anything that is available on the bottom."
Yet others welcomed the red king crab. Both restaurants at Porlock Weir were very keen to add the large crustacean to their menu. So for Brian, it has also been an extremely lucrative catch. (In the United States the crab's meaty legs fetch around $25 per pound.)
In a bidding war, Andrew Dixon at Andrews on the Weir lost out to chef brothers, Aka & Casio at the Ship Inn, who have already taken orders for their crab linguini.
Did you think this story improbable? It wasn't all a pack of tomfoolery:
This is the Real story: written in March 2004 by James Owen for National Geographic News
I would like to thank those involved with helping me put this story together; namely Brain Debney, Andrew Dixon, Casio & Aka and John Boles (for the photos).
Clara Lawrie - Editor
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