An environmental group has urged authorities to come up with countermeasures after coastal red crabs were frequently killed in so-called roadkill incidents on a newly built coastal road on Yeongjong Island, Incheon.

Incheon Green Korea issued a statement today (the 10th) saying, "Red crabs are being hit and killed by cars on the Cheongra Haneul Bridge to Midan City section of the Yeongjong Coastal Circular Road, which opened last July," adding, "A road opened for traffic convenience and regional development has degraded into a road of death taking lives."

The group stated, "Through two field surveys conducted last month, we confirmed the remains of roadkill red crabs scattered everywhere," and demanded, "Incheon City must actively review protection measures, including the installation of ecological corridors."

Red crabs typically live in inland forests or burrows higher than the high-tide line.

They are known to help maintain a healthy forest ecosystem by supplying oxygen to the soil and decomposing organic matter.

These creatures have a unique ecological characteristic during the annual summer spawning season (July to September), when egg-carrying females head down to the sea to release their larvae in sync with nighttime high tides.

Incheon Green Korea stated, "The biggest problem is that red crabs have to cross the coastal road to reach the sea," adding, "Incheon City must manage and preserve the coast, tidal flats, and land as a single connected ecosystem."
(Photo provided by Incheon Green Korea, Yonhap News)