Italy is ravaged by a plague. The blue crab, normally found only on the east coast of the United States or in the Gulf of Mexico, has spread to the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, stocks of mussels, cockles and oysters can quickly decrease. The Italian government now wants to take action against the insatiable crustacean.
Right-wing populist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her cabinet are now declaring war on shellfish. 2.9 million euros will be used for this. During a cabinet meeting this week, it was decided that more of the shellfish should be caught and offered in restaurants. Because if you don’t do anything about this crab, there can be no more mussels, clams and oysters in three to four months.
threat to fisheries
“The activity of small fishermen in Italy is in danger,” complained the president of the agricultural association Coldiretti, Ettore Pandini. About 3,000 fishing companies on the Po, at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea, are under threat. The fishing cooperatives and aquaculture companies that catch and dispose of the blue crabs now receive financial support from the government. The shellfish must be fished out of the sea with sturdy nets and then dumped in landfills. Disposal costs are taken into account.
Fishermen would increasingly have to deliver the pests to restaurants near Venice and Trieste that offer the crabs. Their meat is rich in B12 and versatile due to its complex flavor. The price per kilo of meat should be around ten euros.
Experts don’t yet know why the blue crab spread so quickly to the Mediterranean. There may be a connection to climate change. Italy is Europe’s largest producer of clams and the third largest in the world after China and South Korea.
Source: Krone
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
