The Chinese mitten crab (hairy crab) is listed as one of the most serious invasive alien species in the world due to its strong adaptability and reproductive ability. Recently, in order to prevent hairy crabs from causing damage to European rivers, Belgium has taken unique measures to successfully trap 3 million hairy crabs by installing special traps, effectively protecting the local river ecological environment.
Chinese mitten crab, commonly known as hairy crab, occupies an important place in Chinese food culture because of its unique flavor. However, in non-native areas, this crab has a serious impact on the local ecosystem due to its strong adaptability and rapid reproduction.
In Belgium, the Frande Regional Environment Agency and the University of Antwerp have joined forces to implement innovative control measures to prevent hairy crabs from causing damage to the ecology of the river. They developed a trap specifically to trap hairy crabs, and by installing special metal channels in the river, they were lured into it and it was difficult to escape.
This trap has been widely installed in the relevant river channels since 2018. Jonas Schlink, a professor of aquatic ecology at the University of Antwerp, estimates that 3 million hairy crabs have been successfully caught so far. "The traps are extremely efficient, allowing us to catch 8,000 to 10,000 hairy crabs a day without injuring other endangered fish. Schlink said.
It is worth noting that this method of trapping has not only achieved remarkable results in Belgium, but also began to install similar traps in the United Kingdom last year, and is expected to be rolled out in France, Germany, Sweden and other countries in the next few years.
Belgium's innovative technology to deal with the invasion of Chinese mitten crabs has successfully protected the ecological environment of the local river, which deserves global attention. This is not only a contribution to biodiversity conservation, but also an important maintenance of global ecological security. In the future, the successful promotion of this model is expected to provide an effective solution for the global response to the problem of invasive species.