HOLLAND, Mich. (AP) - A wildlife manager says traps have failed to find any sign that the invasive species the red swamp crayfish is infesting Lake Macatawa in western Michigan.
The state Department of Natural Resources announced the trapping campaign earlier this month in the 1,700-acre lake in and near Holland.
Department aquatic invasive species coordinator Seth Herbst says traps set last week didn’t catch any red swamp crayfish.
He says that’s “a positive thing” showing they haven’t become established.
The state says some stores have illegally sold the crayfish as fishing bait. They’re very fertile and can cause serious shoreline damage.
Herbst tells The Grand Rapids Press (https://bit.ly/1gN7djJ ) that a Michigan State University trapping crew is out this week to continue monitoring the lake for the crayfish.
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Online:
Species background: https://1.usa.gov/1TOQL0p
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