Eat a crab,
save an estuary.
What if one of the biggest problems on our coastlines was actually the next seafood sensation?
Eating your part.
Green crabs are an invasive species that eat and destroy local marine life, harming fisheries and ecosystems alike.
The upside? They’re delicious.
We harvests green crabs so you can help eat our invasives.
Who we are
Welcome to shell+claw, a York, Maine-based startup pioneering markets for the invasive European Green Crab through research and innovation.
shell+claw is the first commercial operation of this delicious solution.
Our products
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Soft shell green crabs are delicious, eat them shell and all. Fry them and use them as a slider, appetizer, or entree. Think soft shell blue crab, but smaller and even tastier.
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Use our green crabs for a stock or a rich broth in your restaurant or home cooking
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Fishing? Channel whelks, tautogs, and stripers all chase our crabs as bait.
We’re turning a coastal challenge into a culinary triumph.
But don’t just take our word for it
Chef testimonials
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I have been working with green crabs for many years now and have found them very flavorful and versatile. The collective effort of chefs and harvesters to reduce the population of invasive species is an important step in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem. The work of shell+claw has helped me continue to apply new ideas and techniques to the preparation of green crabs.
Evan Mallett – Black Trumpet, Portsmouth, NH
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Soft shell green crab season is a moment to be celebrated! Our kitchen at Moëca is committed to being ready when the green crabs are molting so that this unique and delicious seafood can satisfy our neighborhood demand for responsibly sourced local catch.
Michael Pagliarini, Chef/Owner Moëca, Cambridge, MA
In the news:
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![an underwater view Mike Masi pulling a green crab trap out of the water onto a boat while a green crab floats away from the trap]()
National Geographic
Invasive green crabs: If you can't beat them, eat them.
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![Homemade pork sausage made with jalapenos and cheddar]()
Business Insider
The True Cost of Green Crabs
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![Close Up / Preparing red meat on the barbecue grill.]()
Modern Farmer
Can Finding New Culinary Markets for Green Crabs Help Curb the Invasive Species?
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Maine Public
To build a market for green crabs, some look to Maine's Cambodian community
