Hundreds of Asian shore crabs, an aggressive shellfish from the Far East, are being discovered along the Island’s east coast and as far out as Seymour Tower.
And a local marine environment expert says the Island is powerless to halt the invasion.
The Asian crab – Latin name Hemigrapsus sanguineus – made its first appearance in the British Isles in 2009 when it was discovered in Guernsey before being seen in Jersey a few days later. Since then there have been occasional sightings and a survey of Island crabs last year failed to find one, other than in an established colony at La Collette, near to the power station water outlet.