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The summer of 2023, for the Mediterranean countries, took place under the banner of emergency. The waters of the great sea, in fact, have been invaded by the blue crab: a species which, from the media to scholars, has been defined as “alien”. Not only that: the consequences of this invasion have forced countries to declare a state of total emergency, and to find alternative methods to overcome this problem.
But what is it, what is this species? Why is it called “alien”? What consequences did it bring to the Mediterranean? And what can be done to eradicate it or, on the contrary, to live with it while safeguarding the marine ecosystem?
The blue crab: a species that came from afar
“Blue crab” is the name chosen for a species with a more complex nomenclature: callinectes sapidus. It is a crustacean that came from the other side of the world: it is in fact mainly found in the waters of the American coasts, from North to South. However, it is a particularly resistant species: it survives, in fact, even in the waters a little salty.
This is the reason why, sometimes accidentally sucked up by “heavy” ships, such as oil tankers or cargo ships, which use water for ballast, it survived the long journey, spreading to other parts of the globe, becoming in effect a “alien” species and, for this reason, profoundly harmful to an ecosystem not accustomed to the presence of this animal.
In Italy it is not the first time that it is heard of blue crab, as many other “alien” species: in the middle of the last century, its presence was reported for the first time. But it is in the contemporary era that, to a greater extent, this presence has transformed into a real emergency.
The Mediterranean emergency
From 2017 onwards, reports of the presence of the blue crab along the Italian coasts have multiplied dramatically. This is also due to the natural behavior of this species: just think of the fact that a single female of the blue crustacean lays two million eggs, and reaches maturity in a very short time, giving rise to unbridled reproduction. Just during the last month, only these crabs have been caught on various and unexpected coasts of the Mediterranean: this has created alarm among marine biologists.
This arises because this crustacean is adaptive to the new situations in which it finds itself; however, the ecosystem in which it is hosted is not so. To reproduce, the blue crab devours local native species, putting those already declared at risk of extinction at serious risk.
But this doesn’t stop there: there are many testimonies from fishermen who tell how the crabs even devoured part of the fishing nets. Furthermore, when food runs out, they resort to cannibalism in order to ensure the survival of the species.
This unlimited reproduction has already led to 100 million euros of damage to the fish market; this pushed Italy to allocate almost three million euros to contain the emergency, especially in regions such as Lazio, Tuscany, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna.
But a fundamental part of the human character is inventiveness: for this reason, more and more chefs are deciding to use this species, transforming it into culinary delicacies. In Italy, the recipes of Mariscadoras, part of the Blueat group, have become famous: scrolling through their website, it is possible to find numerous and delicious preparations based on the blue crustacean.
Culinary treasure or destroyer of ecosystems already hit hard by the environmental crisis? The blue crab presents the inhabitants of the Mediterranean with both emergency and culinary ecstasy: a problem to be solved, but also a species to be known and, if contained, appreciated.
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