Secondary Vectors:
The Chinese mitten crab may be transported in various stages of
its life cycle as a hitch-hiker in shipping and packing materials
originating from infested areas. This is an easy vector through which
to reduce the risk of invasions by educating both the suppliers and
recipients of the packages about the dangers of such hitch-hikers and
the proper handling and disposal techniques that should be used for
potentially contaminated shipping / packing materials.
No biological supply houses in the United States are allowed to
carry Chinese mitten crabs and it is illegal to possess them, thus
introductions through the release of scientific specimens is probably
a limited vector. It is possible to acquire a permit to import them
for research and testing. However, if such a high level of difficulty
is required to get the permit and crabs, chances are the recipients
will understand and utilize proper handling and disposal
techniques.
The Chinese mitten crab is valuable among many Asian communities,
intentional introductions as a food supply should be considered as a
viable vector that would most likely occur due to the release from
illegal importation or possession of the crabs.
Natural invasions, while they are a vector, are not open to
prevention as a management effort. Natural invasion for the Chinese
mitten crab can only occur on a watershed by adjacent watershed
basis, thus naturally slowing and limiting natural invasions as a
vector.
created 5/4/98