CNN —Named after the dense mats of hair on their front claws, Chinese mitten crabs are intimidating creatures. Scientists across the continent are looking for ways to reduce the mitten crab population, and in doing so protect the native ecosystems being destroyed by the invasive species. Schoelynck says that scientists in Europe have reported crabs that are a hybrid of both the Chinese and Japanese species of mitten crabs. While mitten crabs are a seasonal delicacy in China, Schoelynck says that they have little meat and therefore aren’t popular in the European market. However, the crabs collected in one of the Belgium traps go to a local zoo to be used as animal feed, he says.

---

Persons: CNN —, It’s, “ Clancy, ”, Jonas Schoelynck, Van Loon, Schoelynck, Björn Suckow, Alfred Wegener, Clancy, Heleen, Suckow Organizations: CNN, University of Antwerp, Flanders Environment Agency, EU, Alfred, Alfred Wegener Institute Locations: Europe, Bremen, Germany, Asia, Flanders, Belgium, France, Sweden, It’s, Lier, Belgian, China