The invasion of blue crab He brings the fishermen to his knees thus the national government and the region Emilia-Romagna they intervene with new allocations to contain the damage.
Since 2022, in fact, the species of crab Callenctes Sapiduswhich in Italy was alien, has compromised in a very serious way the balance of the marine ecosystem and the economic sustainability of fishing and aquaculture activities in different areas of the country.
Blue crab, 2.9 million at Emilia-Romagna
The extraordinary commissioner of government, Enrico Caterino, has signed an order that assigns 2.9 million euros In Emilia-Romagna as part of a 3.7 million national package, also intended for Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia, the other two regions heavily affected by the invasion of the crustacean.
The allocation is part of a wider context of emergency measures. As thecouncilor regional atAgriculture And Fishing, Alessio Mammasit is
“Positive news, which finally represents a concrete sign of attention to the companies affected by this drama”.
The blue crab, as is known, is edible and it seems that its meats are particularly appreciable. For this reason the commissioner adds that he now expects
“Also a strategy of relaunching from the government for the sector and to support marketing actions of the blue crab, given the interest expressed by various foreign markets”.
In recalling that the blue crab hit Goro and Comacchio and the communities of fishermen and aquacultors in particular, the commissioner recalls that
“In 2023 and 2024 we put 2 million euros of our resources, one per year, and another million in 2025, with a announcement already published and expiring in mid -July for the benefit of the recovery and disposal activities of the blue crab”.
The damage of the blue crab
According to the data released by the regional bodies, i damage caused by the spread of the blue crab in Emilia-Romagna amounted to at least 16.8 million euros. The most interested areas are those between the northern part of the Municipality of Goro and the southern part of Comacchioareas in which the blue crab has compromised the production of true clams, destroying the novels and reducing the commercial yields in some areas. Now, to counteract the blue crab, you feel with the oysters.
The phenomenon took on dramatic proportions especially during 2023, the year in which, immediately after the flood that hit Romagna, the fishermen discovered that entire clams have been completely destroyed. Initially a malicious action was suspected, then denied by the surveillance cameras that have documented the predatory activity of the blue crab inside the systems.
3 million against the blue crab
With the new announcement, the Emilia-Romagna Region confirms the multi-year commitment to counter the invasion: there are 3 millions of euros allocated a total of 2023-2025 (1 million for each year). The help is aimed at SMEs and micro companies holding maritime state concessions or plants in regional sea waters.
The announcement also includes the reimbursement of the transport costs of the product to the landing points, the collection centers and the authorized landfills, as well as the charges for disposal.
The contribution, provided for by regional law 3/2025, assigns a flat rate value of 1.50 euros per kilogram for the product disposed of, up to a maximum of 660,000 kg total. The requests They can be submitted by July 16, 2025 by certified mail to the address [email protected].
The total resources against the blue crab
In summary, the total of mobilized public resources is 5.9 million euros:
- 2.9 million national;
- 3 million regional.
But be careful: only 2.9 million are real compensation for direct damage suffered. The other 3 million are stops for containment and operational management.
