Cat food market exists for Maine's invasive green crab
The invasive green crab that has been plaguing Maine’s $16 million commercial softshell clam industry could have market potential for the cat food industry.
The Bangor Daily News reported that Bay City Crab, a North Carolina-based seafood processor, has purchased 22,000 pounds of green crab from Boothbay Harbor-area clam harvesters and has since sold it to an unidentified cat food company.
However, Bay City Crab’s owner, Chrissy Fulcher, said the harvesters have since stopped selling crab to the processor because of its low offering price: 25 cents a pound — a price that’s driven by packing and transportation costs. No other harvesters across Maine’s coast have taken up Bay City Crab’s offer.
The BDN noted that the state recently loosened regulations for selling green crabs by removing the need for a harvesting license. The state and several coastal communities have been working to reduce the green crab population through various studies and mitigation effort as the invasive species continues to take a major toll on Maine’s softshell clam population.
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