An unidentified man in China purchased $188,660 worth of Shanghai hairy crabs (Eriocheir sinensis) only to set the crustaceans lose in a river in the province of Zhejiang. Fisheries officials, however, warned that the act may have a significant impact on the local ecosystem.
According to reports, the man bought around 33,000 hairy crabs from a market in Hangzhou and released them into the local Qiantang River.
Officials from the city's wholesale market authority said they were not able to intervene in the purchase because the man was not engaged in price manipulation.
Wildlife experts in Zhejiang, however, are concerned that the introduction of thousands of hairy crabs into the river could disrupt the migratory patterns of other aquatic animals such as sturgeon, salmon and striped bass.
These fish are known to spend majority of their existence in salty seawater only to migrate to fresh water to breed. Hairy crabs, on the other hand, mostly live in fresh water but then journey to saltwater areas during their breeding season.
Experts are watchful of these particular hairy crabs as they could potentially bring foreign bacteria with them and cause adverse effects on the ecosystem of the Qiantang River.
Disruption to Other Ecosystems
Chinese authorities are also investigating where the hairy crabs originated from. When the crustaceans were introduced to Germany during the 1930s, they were deemed an invasive species.
The presence of hairy crabs in German rivers has costed the government millions of dollars in losses, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
As a result, the German government has begun exporting the crabs back to China after they caused massive damage to dams in 2012.
The crabs have also made their way to rivers in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in 2009.
In the United States, the Eriocheir sinensis has been identified as "injurious wildlife," resulting in the federal government prohibiting the transport of the crab species between states without permit.
Photo: Neil Cummings | Flickr
