SCARDOVARI, Italy (AP) — Italian fishermen for two years incinerated most of the invasive Atlantic blue crabs caught in the Po River Delta south of Venice. Few Italians had an appetite for the alien predator blamed for decimating their prized Manila clams.
While experiments in containment continue, including the release of tens of thousands of octopus predators, the industry's response has been shifting to find new markets for the crustaceans. The strategy is already salvaging the livelihood of some fishermen and, some hope, may even rehabilitate the much-maligned crab's image in Italy.
Like other members of his local cooperative, second-generation fisherman Federico Zago saw his income crash after the crab invasion. The Polesine Fishermen's Cooperative Consortium's revenues fell 75% to 15 million euros ($17 million) in 2024 and 2025; the cooperative's active members also shrank from 1,500 to 850.
"We needed to change strategy, and create an opportunity from this disaster," said Paolo Mancin, the cooperative's president.
Desperate, they pivoted to exporting the unwanted crabs, with the aim of preserving the Manila clams — invasive themselves — and mussels that created decades of prosperity in the shallow lagoons of Veneto and Emilia Romagna.
#manila #million
While experiments in containment continue, including the release of tens of thousands of octopus predators, the industry's response has been shifting to find new markets for the crustaceans. The strategy is already salvaging the livelihood of some fishermen and, some hope, may even rehabilitate the much-maligned crab's image in Italy.
Like other members of his local cooperative, second-generation fisherman Federico Zago saw his income crash after the crab invasion. The Polesine Fishermen's Cooperative Consortium's revenues fell 75% to 15 million euros ($17 million) in 2024 and 2025; the cooperative's active members also shrank from 1,500 to 850.
"We needed to change strategy, and create an opportunity from this disaster," said Paolo Mancin, the cooperative's president.
Desperate, they pivoted to exporting the unwanted crabs, with the aim of preserving the Manila clams — invasive themselves — and mussels that created decades of prosperity in the shallow lagoons of Veneto and Emilia Romagna.
#manila #million
2 months ago
