A4
THE ASTORIAN • THuRSdAy, MARcH 3, 2022
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
KARI BORGEN
Publisher
DERRICK DePLEDGE
Editor
Founded in 1873
SHANNON ARLINT
circulation Manager
JOHN D. BRUIJN
Production Manager
CARL EARL
Systems Manager
OUR VIEW
Green crab a serious threat to coastal ecosystems
hanks to ongoing efforts in
Willapa Bay and an infor-
mative Washington Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife webinar
last month, it has become apparent
that invasive European green crab
are an enormous threat to the ecol-
ogy and economics of the Washing-
ton state coast.
As explored in recent Chinook
Observer news coverage, these
small and voracious crab that are
native to the northeast Atlantic
Ocean and the Baltic Sea are run-
ning amok in the Pacific North-
west. They are a particular threat
to Manila clams and similar spe-
cies that have become a major cash
crop in Willapa Bay. Mature oyster
shells are generally too hard for the
crab to crack. Willapa, Grays Har-
bor and Makah tribal waters are all
considered “hot spots” for the crab
invasion.
A survey last year along the
north shore of the Columbia River
estuary found no green crab there
— it may be exposed to too much
fresh water for them — but two
were found at Waikiki in Cape Dis-
appointment State Park, which
might present a future worry for
lovers of razor clams.
Although there’s some cross-
over, green crab tend to occupy
somewhat different water depths
than Dungeness. But crab all eat
T
Steve Ringman/Seattle Times
Washington state is somewhat belatedly throwing money at the problem of green crab
and may come up with strategies other places have not.
one another’s young, and their
own, so having an abundant new
species in local waters seems likely
to eventually impact all native crab.
The East Coast, Australia, South
Africa and other places are already
in the throes of trying to limit green
crab damage, with only limited
success. Partly because of the need
to avoid accidentally killing desir-
able species, most control mecha-
nisms have significant drawbacks.
Physically trapping the green crab
seems to be the best of several bad
options, but requires labor-inten-
sive ongoing efforts.
In 12 days trapping through Feb.
20, one Willapa shellfish grower
caught 1,100 green crab, with no
appreciable drop-off from one
day to the next. And as discussed
during the Department of Fish and
Wildlife webinar, an ambitious
trapping campaign in a small Cali-
fornia estuary resulted the next year
in an explosion in the green crab
population — taking out the adults
in effect removed the apex preda-
tors and allowed many more young
crab to survive to adulthood.
Hope is not lost. Washington
state is somewhat belatedly throw-
ing money at the problem and
may come up with strategies other
places have not. It remains import-
ant to the West Coast as a whole to
more carefully regulate ballast-wa-
ter discharges and other vectors
that spread invasive species. For
example, a slightly more cold-tol-
erant version of green crab — not
yet found on this coast — could
colonize far to the north if they
gain a foothold.
Invasive species are one of the
disastrous themes of our time.
Some, like the spartina grass
that once threatened to turn Wil-
lapa Bay into a vast monocul-
ture meadow, have been success-
fully curtailed. But the time is fast
arriving when we won’t be talking
about individual species but about
entire “migrating menageries” —
entire suites of living things that
are inevitably shifting into our local
habitats as our world’s climatic
zones shift around.
Instead of individual incur-
sions, we may need to find ways
to manage whole diverse armies of
invaders.
This doesn’t mean we should
give in or lose hope about preserv-
ing native species, but it may be a
better approach to the challenges
we face this century.
INVASIVE SPEcIES ARE ONE OF THE dISASTROuS THEMES OF OuR TIME. SOME, LIKE
THE SPARTINA GRASS THAT ONcE THREATENEd TO TuRN WILLAPA BAy INTO A VAST
MONOcuLTuRE MEAdOW, HAVE BEEN SuccESSFuLLy cuRTAILEd. BuT THE TIME IS FAST
ARRIVING WHEN WE WON’T BE TALKING ABOuT INdIVIduAL SPEcIES BuT ABOuT ENTIRE
‘MIGRATING MENAGERIES’ — ENTIRE SuITES OF LIVING THINGS THAT ARE INEVITABLy
SHIFTING INTO OuR LOcAL HABITATS AS OuR WORLd’S cLIMATIc ZONES SHIFT AROuNd.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Asking you
G
earhart voters: After many years of
investigation and study, the Gearhart
City Council has unanimously passed
Measure 4-213 asking for a bond to build
a 21st-century fire and police station near
U.S. Highway 101 and Highlands Lane.
Your support of this bond would pro-
vide protection and community assistance
for many years to come. I am asking each
and every one of you to vote “yes” in the
May 17 election in support of this bond.
It is the right thing to do for both you,
and our first responders, who provide the
continuing great service and safety, for
which we are very thankful.
Please vote early. As Mayor Paulina
Cockrum has asked, “If not now, when?”
Thank you for your consideration and
support.
KERRY SMITH
Councilor, Gearhart City Council
Object strongly
O
regon Public Broadcasting had an
article about Oregon lawmakers rais-
ing their own pay. It states that commu-
nity groups, labor unions and the Port-
land Business Alliance are promoting
this.
I object strongly to this body raising
their own pay because they have done a
terrible job in representing the people of
Oregon — which is their only job!
Gov. Kate Brown has the distinction of
being the least popular governor in Amer-
ica. And the Democratic legislators fol-
low the governor’s lead like little ducks
in a row.
The people of Oregon have lost their
jobs, homes and businesses respond-
ing to the severe pandemic restrictions,
while the state of Oregon has continu-
ally had some of the lowest numbers of
cases and deaths when compared to other
states.
So please let your legislators know
they don’t need a raise.
DIXIE GAINER
Nehalem
Egregious disservice
T
he Gearhart City Council, under the
influence of City Administrator Chad
LETTERS WELCOME
Letters should be exclusive to The
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letters per writer are allowed each
month. Letters written in response
Sweet, has committed an egregious dis-
service to the Gearhart Volunteer Fire
Department. This City Council has pro-
posed a preposterous solution to replace a
much-needed fire station.
We have no need for a “resiliency” sta-
tion. A resiliency station already exists
at Camp Rilea. We have paid for, and
to other letter writers should address
the issue at hand and should refer to
the headline and date the letter was
published. Discourse should be civil.
Send via email to editor@dailyasto-
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will continue to support this facility, with
our tax dollars and the deployment of
our efficient and heroic Oregon National
Guard in the event of a coastal disaster.
The National Guard has never failed
to respond to disasters throughout our
nation and can be trusted to provide relief
equal to the level of need.
In addition to this excessive approach
to need versus want, this council will cal-
lously commit low- to- fixed-income
retirees, families and individuals with an
economic encumbrance.
This City Council seems to embrace
and proliferate the narrative that Gearhart
is only for the ultra-rich, who can afford
the largest fire station in the smallest city
of Clatsop County.
Voting “no” is not an act of disloyalty
to the fire department; rather, it is com-
municating to this council and its city
administrator that they have exhibited
genuine disregard for the full-time cit-
izens of Gearhart, and need to reevalu-
ate what we really need to ensure the fire
department has what they need to respond
to day-to-day emergencies.
Help the Gearhart City Council
become responsible leaders and vote
“no.”
JOY and BRIAN SIGLER
Gearhart