But in America, they're considered a nuisance, and if you find one, it's recommended that you kill it in the water.

It's a Chinese crab that's made its way to Maryland.

They can cause major damage to dams, levees and water pipes.

They have furrow clause and that allows them to burrow into the side of a bank, weakening that wall of sand and dirt.

It can collapse.

And when there's mawr sediment in a body of water, it gets darker.

And that lack of sunlight impacts what can live and grow.

There s So how did the crab that's considered tasty in China become a pariah in the States?

To answer that, we have to go back to the source.

This is Youngtown Lake, just outside Shanghai, and from September to November, people drive out here to eat Harry crab.

They're called this because of the hairs on its claws.

Xiujun King and his family has been farming hairy crabs for more than 20 years.

Crabs on the legs are fed a diet of snails and corn.

What you also want to hear a e A.

It's all that junior ego.

Maybe, uh, she has a face on the back.

Come on, just running from GM Joe.

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So, of course I had to try the crowds for myself.

I asked you to teach me the basics.

This is all kinds of great the rose, the most prized part to go home.

Don't eat the gills or heart or intestines, so that possibly will you go away and definitely eat all of the meat in the lake, and it pairs best with vinegar and a glass of yellow wine.

Although freshwater crabs are everywhere in this part of China, people say the tastiest come from Johnson Lake, and they say it's because of the water quality.

But that's a bit misleading because the region's waterways are all interconnected and have been plagued with pollution problems.

Back in 2000 and eight, a massive algae bloom stunk up the lake and forced 86% of crab farms to relocate, and in 2016 it was reported that some of the crabs contained dangerous levels of carcinogens.

But Johnson Lake has since cleaned up in 2017 the lake cut its breeding zone toe half.

Although it brought down the quantity of the crabs.

The quality improved.

Behind me are fireworks, and that's commemorate the opening of a new hairy crab restaurant on.

That's saying a lot because literally every single restaurant around me right now sells hairy crab.

Xiujun King owns a restaurant in this plaza filled with other hairy crab restaurants.

He catches the crabs and his wife seems thumb e o E.

So you just like Wait, Wait, I want you to.

So each and global, the cracks are considered a culinary delicacy, thes air retailing for about 11 U.

S.

Dollars a pop this year, though, the males, distinguished by their larger size and belly shape, tend to fetch a slightly higher price two weeks later.

But it's not just its appearance that deters people from eating it.

In the states, in Europe and North America, Harry crabs are considered an invasive species because they clog waterways.

They're also known to still fish bait, interfere with traps, compete for food with other fish and contain pathogens, which is why it's illegal to import them.

And if you find them.

You're not supposed to throw them back into the water.

They don't belong here.

They could do damage here.

But I think the key point is do not throw back alive.

Meanwhile, in China, the crustacean is so beloved that fakes are rampant.

In 2016 it was reported that over 20,000 tons of Johansson late crabs were sold.

But only 2100 tons of crabs were actually produced at the lake.

E E o Uh, yeah, mhm.