In April 2025, the team from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) reached a milestone as construction work began at the large and small fish ladder at the Weser weir in Bremen. Thus, two of three tanks were successfully installed on site.

Bremen, Germany.
To position the fish trap on the first site, the AWI team carefully lowered the tank into the large fish ladder at a depth of around 15 meters. Next steps will be to the catch baskets and connect the piping systems that will guide crabs into the baskets for capture.
The installation at the large fish ladder was also accompanied by a German TV crew from Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR): https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hallo_niedersachsen/Invasive-Wollhandkrabben-Wissenschaftler-stellen-Fallen-auf,hallonds94402.html
Work has also started at the second site – the small fish ladder at the Weser weir. At this site, the tank and the connecting pipes have already been installed. Final steps, including the integration of the catch basket and the installation of a water pump, are still pending.
Meanwhile, preparations for the third installation at the Werdersee fish ladder are set to begin shortly.
The AWI team continues to work diligently and plans to have all three traps fully operational by the next autumn migration.
Curious about how the crab trap works? Find more information here: https://www.interregnorthsea.eu/clancy/the-trap