Il blue crab, a decapod crustacean belonging to the Portunidae family, coming from the Atlantic Ocean, has also arrived in Europe and is invading from North to South all Italy causing considerable damage to fishing. Here's everything you need to know about this species that inhabits our seas.
The blue crab, characteristics
Il blue crab o blue (English blue crab, Atlantic blue crab, Maryland blue crab), erroneously known in Italy also as king crab, is a crustacean belonging to the Portunidae family, genus Callinectes and species sapidus (C. sapidus). It is native to the west coast ofAtlantic Ocean (comes mainly from Mexico and Ecuador) and has gradually spread throughout the world inside the ballast water tanks of large ships.
However, in the Mediterranean Sea this crustacean has found a more favorable habitat than in other seas due to the abundant presence of river mouths and the constant and sufficiently mild temperature of the water. its diffusion is also due to climate changes.
It is about twenty centimeters large and characterized by one orange and blue color; however, it is an "alien" species
The spread of the blue crab threatens fisheries
In fact, blue crabs have been present on the Italian coasts for several decades, but are now becoming an ecological and economic problem because their uncontrolled reproduction is damaging shellfish farms. Furthermore, their widespread diffusion is due to the fact that the natural predators of the blue crab, such as octopuses, turtles and various fish, have decreased. This caused it to reproduce in a dangerous manner. It reached the farms of clams, mussels and oysters. A real emergency because the blue crab could, according to experts, cause damage to the local ecosystem since it feeds on native fish.
These crabs are very voracious and, having powerful claws, can also cause damage to fishing equipment and fish production.
The measures and the proposals
The Italian government has allocated 2,9 million euros to contain the spread of the blue crab, spotted since 2022 on the Italian coasts, in particular in Veneto, Lazio, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany and Sicily. The Minister of Agriculture will identify the geographical areas affected by the emergency, the beneficiaries and the methods for submitting applications.
Some propose using the crustacean in the preparation of dishes since its meat is tasty and in demand on the market. This kind of crab It has an excellent nutritional profile. In fact, there are also those who sell it (sometimes even at exorbitant prices) and those who cook it in many variations.
