A blue crab plague is currently causing serious damage to fisheries and mussel farming in Italy. The invasion of the ‘killers of the seas’ from North and South America could halve the mussel population. Experts warn of a natural disaster.
100 million euros in damage
The blue crab has so far caused €100 million in damage to Italian fishermen through the destruction of mussel farms, as well as oysters, other crustaceans and fish such as sole and mullet. The outcome risks becoming more dramatic if measures are not taken to stop the invasion of the “killer of the seas”, warned “Coldiretti Pesca”.
Restaurants should put blue crab on their menu
Veneto is the most affected region. The fishermen’s association called on restaurant owners to increasingly offer blue crab dishes. Catching for consumption is considered the best solution to tackle the problem, experts say. Otherwise, there is a risk that there will soon be no more mussels, cockles and oysters.
The meat of the blue crab is rich in vitamin B12 and its delicate taste allows it to be used in many ways in gastronomy. Prices for this crab species are around ten euros per kilo.
300 fishing companies are threatened
The invasive shellfish, usually found only on the east coast of the US or in the Gulf of Mexico, where they are considered a culinary delicacy, have now spread widely in the Mediterranean Sea. 3,000 fishing companies in the delta area of the Po River at the mouth of the Adriatic Sea are threatened.
Experts say it is unclear why blue crabs are now reproducing so rapidly in the Mediterranean and whether there could be a link to climate change. Italy is Europe’s largest producer of mussels and the world’s third largest, after China and South Korea.
Introduced by freighters
The blue crab is native to the Atlantic coast of North and South America. Researchers believe they were introduced to the Mediterranean Sea via the ballast water of cargo ships. Deposits of blue crab have also been discovered in Japan and the North Sea, and the first animal was fished from the Baltic Sea near Usedom in May 2023.
Source: Krone
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