In the waters of the Scardovari lagoon, fishermen collect clams for the preparation of a very popular dish in Italy, the famous “spaghetti alle vongole”, an endangered activity due to the blue crab. This invasive species, native to the Atlantic coast of North America, has been present in the Mediterranean for years, but in recent months its accelerated multiplication has become a serious problem on the Adriatic coast near Venice.
He took over the business of his father and grandfather in the Scardovari lagoon, one of the arms of the Po estuary, the largest river in Italy that flows into the Adriatic Sea. “Every day that goes by, we fish more and more, I don’t know what to do,” the helpless fisherman confessed to AFP, guiding his boat in the lagoon. His companions face the same situation: “they can’t even use their nets anymore because the crabs are coming at them and breaking the lines!”.
Climate change
The Government released 2.9 million euros last week to deal with what the Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, described as a “critical situation”. The money is intended to provide “economic incentives” to those who catch and discard blue crabs, which multiply in “dangerous” ways, he explained, noting that Italian waters have no natural predators fond of this species.
Coldiretti, the main organization representing the agricultural sector, denounced an “invasion” caused by climate change. This species “exterminates clams, mussels, eggs, other fish and molluscs, endangering the survival of 3,000 companies in the Po delta,” he worried.
From the coasts of the United States, blue crabs (whose scientific name is “callinectes sapidus”) have spread throughout the world, presumably through the ballast water of ships. For several years now, fishermen working from Albania to Spain via France have been able to observe the presence of this exotic species, which affects the natural balance of the native fauna. Excellent swimmers, they can weigh up to a kilo and eat almost anything thanks to their fine blue claws, especially suitable for opening clam shells.
In Eraclea, another seaside town east of Venice, a restaurateur decided to explore the culinary uses of this meaty new ingredient. “Many dishes can be prepared with blue crab”, Luca Faraon rejoices, while his clients enjoy spaghetti with blue crab cooked with garlic, cherry tomatoes and parsley. “We’re still trying to figure out how to use it in a dessert,” jokes the 58-year-old restaurateur.
“A great resource”
In the United States, in the Chesapeake Bay near Washington, the blue crab is very popular. During a meeting with representatives of the sector last week, the Minister of Agriculture, while acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, preferred to focus on possible outlets in the United States and China. “Blue crabs are a great resource,” he said, noting their high vitamin B12 content.
This optimism is not at all shared by Emanuele Rossetti, a biologist with the Polesine Fisheries Consortium, one of the most important shellfish farmers associations in Europe. Clams, which cannot survive in an environment invaded by blue crabs, are the main business of his partners, he explains, while the number of blue crabs, present in the lagoon for fifteen years, has increased “exponentially” in recent years. months.
At the rate that they are “devouring clams”, he says he is “sure that the consortium fishermen will run out of products to sell after December.”
Source: BFM TV
