GIANT CRABS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 8

GIANT CRABS

AUSTRALIAN INVASION' FISHERMEN RUINED (From Ode Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 15. A remarkable invasion of the coastal waters of Victoria by giant crabs has ruined scores of fishermen, and has set scientific minds a problem they will find it difficult to solve. The crabs have come, in millions, apparently from'the, deep. With claws extended they are from 2ft to sft across, and in parts they lie on the seabed in masses three to four feet deep. When the tide ebbs they cover the beaches —an ugly mass, crawl-_ ing over one another, jostling and fighting. They have small bodies, but great claws, and they are evidently of the well-known spider type. Most of the crabs are almost lifeless, and all are sluggish in movement. They have cleared the seabed for miles around of all growth and of every living thing. In less than two weeks they have spread, over great areas of valuable' ; fishing grounds, and fishing in many quarters is at a standstill. While experts discuss the phenomenon the menace grows. It would seem that the crabs multiply rapidly, and further reinforcements are arriving daily. It is feared that many other fishing grounds will be ruined before the discovery of effective methods for destroying the army are discovered. Unless the crabs disappear it is certain that all the swimming beaches near Melbourne will ruined by them, and there is a danger' that the crab menace will extend to other parts of the coast of Australia. Never before have Australians seen crabs of such size and in such quantities. One proposal is that powerful launches should draw huge rollers along the floor of the sea in the hope that many millions of crabs will be destroyed. This suggestion seems to be as practical as many of the others that have been put forward. The experts frankly admit that they are puzzled to know what to do. According to one authority the crabs have come from the Great Australian Bight. The species was first noticed on the coast about three years ago. A few spider crabs were reported last year, but this year the number has grown tremendously. It is recognised that one of the first things to discover is the cause of the invasion. If that were determined* it might be possible to do something to check the nuisance. The difficulties in that regard, however, could be gauged from the knowledge that a female crab produced something like 1,000,000. The killing off of a few thousand crabs would not afford any relief, but would probably help the main body by providing it with more food. The crabs possessed no meat substance which was of any commercial or edible value. Those who spoke of canning the crabs knew nothing of their subject. This invasion of crabs finds the State of Victoria quite unprepared. It is likely that it will seek the co-operation of experts from other countries in dealing with this new menace.