Heiltsuk Nation on B.C.’s Central Coast had a problem. Community members were setting traps near Bella Coola to catch invasive green crabs. But something kept wrecking the traps. 

Detective work

Not just a few traps were damaged. It was dozens, hundreds, all in the same area. Sometimes, just the nets were torn. Sometimes, the whole trap was destroyed. The bait cups were always empty or missing. 

A team of researchers led by Kyle Artelle and Paul Paquet stepped in to solve the mystery.