by InTrieste
The aggressive crab, which has no natural predators in Italian waters, presents major problems for the fishing sector and poses a particular threat to the harvesting of clams and mussels. Native to the North American Atlantic coast, the blue crab has been present in Trieste and the rest of Italy for around a decade but a recent surge in its population is resulting in increasingly serious problems along the northeast coast.
Italy has allocated €2.9 million to tackle the rapid spread of blue crabs, an invasive species that is threatening the marine ecosystem and is causing havoc in the country’s lagoons.
The fast-multiplying crabs, whose spread has been linked to rising sea temperatures, are responsible for devastating stocks of eels and shellfish as well as ripping open fishing nets with their powerful claws.
Many fish shops owners in Trieste told us that by eating the “killer of the seas” it would be possible to “transform what is now a disaster into an opportunity”. Noting its “delicate and tasty” flavor, they added that the blue crab can be eaten in a range of salads and pasta dishes.
