US refuses entry of invasive Chinese crab

The United States government refused entry of hundreds of pounds of invasive Chinese mitten crabs in Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A., earlier this month. 

While conducting a routine inspection of incoming Chinese freight at a local express consignment facility, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agricultural specialists noted x-ray anomalies in 16 shipments, which were labeled as clothing.

They discovered thousands of live Chinese mitten crabs, destined for residences in New York.

“In Asia, mitten crabs are considered a seasonal delicacy; however, their disastrous impact on other global habitats has earned them a place on the Invasive Species Specialist Group’s list of ‘100 of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species’,” CBP said in a statement.

The agency did not name the Chinese supplier or suppliers that exported the crabs to the U.S., but said that “all violations are currently under review.”

CBP worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) on the refusal, to “prevent the introduction of a highly invasive and destructive species into our ecosystem,” said CBP Supervisory Agriculture Specialist Barbara Hassan.

Image coutesy of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Subscribe

Want seafood news sent to your inbox?

You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time. Diversified Communications | 121 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101 | +1 207-842-5500
None