2023-08-18 23:33:06
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The blue crab is spreading on the Adriatic coast in Italy. The invasive threatens to destroy the mussel farms, causing fishermen and restaurants to fear for their existence © IMAGO/Sven Grüne
There is great concern in Italy. The spread of the blue crab not only endangers mussel farming, but also the restaurants on the Adriatic coast.
Naples – In Italy there is fear, or at least great concern: Because an uninvited guest is increasingly appearing in the holiday regions of the Adriatic coast, who poses a great challenge to the country in southern Europe. The trigger is a small sea creature that actually calls the western Atlantic Ocean its home. But that situation appears to be changing as the uninvited guest is being found in European waters with increasing frequency and, worryingly, in the Adriatic Sea off the Italian coast.
While other places in Italy are being cracked down on with fines, a completely different visitor is causing trouble on the Adriatic coast. What is meant is the blue crab, which has even found its way here in the Baltic Sea. The animal, also known as the blue swimming crab, was recorded there in May 2023. However, the species is currently causing headaches for fishermen and restaurant owners in Italy.
Italy in fear: Uninvited guest threatens fishermen and restaurants on the Adriatic coast
At a time when vacationers in Italy are complaining of more than two euros for an empty plate or a restaurant service, the uninvited guest on Italy’s Adriatic coast is threatening not only fishermen but also restaurants with existential fears. After all, the blue crab’s diet includes small fish and shellfish.
And this is where the great concern lies: The crab is mainly concerned with the large-scale mussel farms that have been set up specifically for breeding the shellfish off the Italian Adriatic coast. The water farms near Chioggia in northern Italy are particularly affected.
The blue crab is not only responsible for economic losses in agricultural breeding, but also for those in the food industry.
Plates in Italy’s restaurants remain empty: crabs are threatening restaurants and shellfish farming on the Adriatic coast
The effects that the crab has on what the restaurants on the Adriatic coast have to offer can already be clearly felt on the plates of holidaymakers in Italy. After all, the local restaurants hardly have the opportunity to offer mussels on their menus.
In order to stop the further spread of the blue crab and put a stop to its further spread, the Italian government has directly promised measures. 2.9 million euros will be made available to save mussel farming on the Adriatic coast. A measure that does not even resemble those taken by the authorities at a famous Hollywood film set on Lake Como.
Danger of blue crabs off the Adriatic coast: Italy wants to “liberate seas from aggressive species”
While a popular holiday magnet in Germany’s neighboring country rips the hat cord because of mass tourism, the blue crab is a threat to the world’s leading mussel production in Italy. The Austrian news portal oe24.at According to the report, the money will go to fisheries cooperatives, which are to carry out a large-scale campaign to curb the blue crab stock.
The Italian MP, Mauro Malaguti, also wants to make a virtue out of necessity. He appeals to local restaurants to make the most of the alarming situation. The local restaurants should change their menu and offer dishes with blue crab. The new demand might “increase the catch and rid our seas of this aggressive species,” said Malaguti. Only time will tell if this measure will change the “expensive” Italy prices that holidaymakers are complaining regarding.
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