(ANSA) – ROME, SEP 2 – Italy’s blue crab emergency continues unabated, causing devastation to the few remaining clam farms not only in the North, the epicenter of the invasion, but also in central Italy.
The situation is exacerbated by the climate, which, with bad weather and drought, has paved the way for the alien crustacean.
Fedagripesca is mapping the situation, starting from the Orbetello lagoon, where Special Commissioner Enrico Catetrino visited today; here, the death of 3,000 quintals of fish in 2024 has caused the disappearance of sea bream and sea bass, among the blue crab’s few natural predators.
The result is a fivefold increase in the presence of this voracious crustacean.
Maximum alert is also in place in Goro in the Po Delta, where recent storm surges have torn away 30% of the fencing erected on farms to protect the last remaining clams from predators.
“The National Plan to Combat the Blue Crab, which we developed for the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions, can also be applied to other areas where this emergency is occurring, such as the Orbetello Lagoon,” Caterino told ANSA, acknowledging the gravity of the situation in Tuscany, “despite its much more limited scope.” “Now,” the Commissioner said, “we are awaiting damage data from the Region.” After all, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We went from disposing of 130 quintals to 600, five times as much,” explained Pierluigi Piro, president of the Orbetello fishermen’s cooperative.
In this area, exports are also an uphill battle, as the crabs are too uneven in size and difficult to sell.
There’s also less encouraging news from Goro, in the Po Delta, where Vadis Pesanti, producer and vice president of Confcooperative Fedagripesca Emilia Romagna, spoke out.
He expressed dismay at the consequences of the latest storm that destroyed the clam-protecting nets.
“Even if we set out traps to catch them, it’s like emptying the sea with a bucket. We have to deal with the fact that there are many more crabs than a year ago,” Pesanti stated.
This situation prompted farmers to write to Commissioner Caterino and the Emilia-Romagna Region two days ago, requesting immediate monitoring and damage assessment.
Scardovari in Veneto is another hot spot in this emergency.
“After every storm, we have to assess the damage and try to quickly restore the clam-protecting nets,” explained Paolo Mancin, president of the Consortium of Polesine Fishermen’s Cooperatives.
“There’s a constant risk that crabs will enter, causing us to lose everything, even the harvested product. Catches in August increased compared to 2024.” Paolo Tiozzo, vice president of Confcooperative Fedagripesca, summarized the disaster: “The blue crab has brought an economy worth over 200 million euros plus related industries to its knees, cutting 800 workers from the sector.” A multi-pronged strategy is needed, he concluded, “from scientific research to use in gastronomy, even if only 10% can be commercialized, to animal feed. Then, we are working to encourage exports to countries where these products are in demand.” (ANSA).
Read article…
The situation is exacerbated by the climate, which, with bad weather and drought, has paved the way for the alien crustacean.
Fedagripesca is mapping the situation, starting from the Orbetello lagoon, where Special Commissioner Enrico Catetrino visited today; here, the death of 3,000 quintals of fish in 2024 has caused the disappearance of sea bream and sea bass, among the blue crab’s few natural predators.
The result is a fivefold increase in the presence of this voracious crustacean.
Maximum alert is also in place in Goro in the Po Delta, where recent storm surges have torn away 30% of the fencing erected on farms to protect the last remaining clams from predators.
“The National Plan to Combat the Blue Crab, which we developed for the Veneto and Emilia-Romagna regions, can also be applied to other areas where this emergency is occurring, such as the Orbetello Lagoon,” Caterino told ANSA, acknowledging the gravity of the situation in Tuscany, “despite its much more limited scope.” “Now,” the Commissioner said, “we are awaiting damage data from the Region.” After all, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We went from disposing of 130 quintals to 600, five times as much,” explained Pierluigi Piro, president of the Orbetello fishermen’s cooperative.
In this area, exports are also an uphill battle, as the crabs are too uneven in size and difficult to sell.
There’s also less encouraging news from Goro, in the Po Delta, where Vadis Pesanti, producer and vice president of Confcooperative Fedagripesca Emilia Romagna, spoke out.
He expressed dismay at the consequences of the latest storm that destroyed the clam-protecting nets.
“Even if we set out traps to catch them, it’s like emptying the sea with a bucket. We have to deal with the fact that there are many more crabs than a year ago,” Pesanti stated.
This situation prompted farmers to write to Commissioner Caterino and the Emilia-Romagna Region two days ago, requesting immediate monitoring and damage assessment.
Scardovari in Veneto is another hot spot in this emergency.
“After every storm, we have to assess the damage and try to quickly restore the clam-protecting nets,” explained Paolo Mancin, president of the Consortium of Polesine Fishermen’s Cooperatives.
“There’s a constant risk that crabs will enter, causing us to lose everything, even the harvested product. Catches in August increased compared to 2024.” Paolo Tiozzo, vice president of Confcooperative Fedagripesca, summarized the disaster: “The blue crab has brought an economy worth over 200 million euros plus related industries to its knees, cutting 800 workers from the sector.” A multi-pronged strategy is needed, he concluded, “from scientific research to use in gastronomy, even if only 10% can be commercialized, to animal feed. Then, we are working to encourage exports to countries where these products are in demand.” (ANSA).
Read article…
