Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Millions of King Crabs Turn Sea to Desert

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pass-the-butter-and-lemon dept.

Reporter writes "Russian biologist, Yuri Illarionovich Orlov, succeeded where Stalin failed by implanting the red king crabs into the Barents Sea. Except now, 40 years later, he's getting worried. Why? The giant crabs are clawing their way along the bottom of the Barents Sea are spreading like wildfire along the northern coasts of Russia and Norway and will continue to spread as far as Gibraltar, the southern tip of the European continent. How come? One female crab can lay 500,000 eggs at a time, of which one or two percent will become crabs. The kicker is that the species is protected by diplomatic accords between Norway and Russia, so fishing quotas are in place. From the article: "The Kamchatka crab, also known as the Alaskan or red king crab, was introduced into the Barents by the Soviets in the 1960s — some 30 years after a first, failed attempt by Stalin — in a bid to bolster Russia's food supplies. ... The crabs weigh up to 12 kilograms (26 pounds) and measure up to two meters (6.5 feet) from pincher to pincher. While they remain far from Europe's tourist beaches for the time being, their impact on the environment is already a major cause for concern in the Arctic"."

6 of 175 comments (clear)

  1. ok... by slashdotnickname · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    and so began /.'s transition from "news for nerds" to "news for marine biologists"

  2. Re:Obligatory by Phroggy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Wow, a Soviet Russia joke that was actually funny! I'm shocked.

    --
    $x='S24;r)>63/* h@<5+oZ)32"5cz';$me='phroggy'x$];
    $x=~y+ -xz+\0-Tx+;print$_^chop$me for split'',$x;
  3. Also Obligatory by catwh0re · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I for one welcome our new crab overlords.

  4. Re:How do they catch them then? by 93,000 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    After some research I have found that you catch crabs in bed. So you are correct -- as nerds we had no way of knowing this.

    --
    Sweet informative mod.
  5. Another nail in the PS3 coffin. by Vo0k · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Who would pay $800 to fight a giant enemy crab on screen, if you can do it probably cheaper IRL?

    I wonder where their weak spot is.

    --
    Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
  6. Re:Crab problem? by mgabrys_sf · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Replying to his video Mr. Troll. What's with the overuse of "laughing out loud" anyway - isn't this term getting beyond lame *chuckles* ((hugs)) >>>Go FistfuckYourGrandmother ? Love Orifice Licking do ya? Like Orgasmic Livers? Lost Orange Lips? LOL!

    Check the fuckers link, dumbshit.
    Or did your brain blow another fanboy artery over the Wii?