HEALTH AND SAFETY
Danger of animal invasion in New York, is the risk of plague real?
A traveler was caught attempting to smuggle a large quantity of crustaceans and shellfish, both invasive species through JFK airport.
An investigation is underway after a traveler was caught attempting to bringing a large amount of an invasive species through a major New York airport on Christmas Day.
On December 25, 2024, Environmental Conservation Police officer Kortz received a phone call from US Customs Officers at John F. Kennedy Airport regarding a passenger who had attempted to illegally import 38 invasive Chinese mitten crabs and 750 untagged blood clams.
Invasive species seized by JFK Customs
The clams and crabs were confiscated by airport officials and presumably destroyed. US Customs and Border Protection clearly state that importations of pets, live animals and/or wildlife may be subject to state/municipality veterinary health regulations, federal quarantine, agriculture, wildlife, and customs requirements and/or prohibition.
The untagged shellfish were seized as they were classified as “being from uncertified waters”, while it is illegal to possess Chinese mitten crabs in New York State due to the potential harm they pose to the environment and public health.
Blood clams are permitted as long as they are properly tagged and harvested from waters certified by the US Food and Drug Administration.
The Chinese mitten crab, also known as the Shanghai hairy crab can be identified by its mitten-like ‘fur’ on its two front claws and hairy legs. It is native to rivers, estuaries and other coastal habitats of East Asia from Korea to China. It appears as one of 88 species on the List of invasive alien species of Union concern, with risk of high impact.
The non-native crustaceans, which reproduce at 1 or 2 years of age, have widespread impacts on native fish and invertebrate species. The crabs tend to burrow into river banks, which can lead to soil erosion.
“Although the impacts of mitten crabs in New York are currently unknown, their negative ecological and economic impacts are well documented in other areas including Europe and the San Francisco Bay,” the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) states.
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