Скачать или смотреть This invasive fish species could be causing 'crab crisis' in the Chesapeake

Seafood lovers enjoying the traditional summer Chesapeake crab feast have suffered remarkable sticker shock this year with prices as high as $90 to $100 a dozen for crabs. One reason for the astronomical prices is that the crab population is down, and crabs are scarce, according to commercial fisherman and seafood marketers.

Now, scientists are raising questions about whether an invasive and voracious predator in the water may be a factor in the crab crisis.

The invasive species in question is the blue catfish, a species so large it has become known as the "River Monster of the Potomac " and other major Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The catfish's diet includes native Blue Crabs. A November 2021 study from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science reports the catfish consumed as many as 2.3 million crabs per year from a study area in the lower James River.

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