Officials even encouraged eating the crabs. In the US, the crustacean’s sweet meat is a delicacy. But Italians, multiple researchers said, seem to be reluctant to eat them because they associate it with damage to the local economy. It also takes much more effort to clean and cook the crabs compared to clams, which can steamed or boiled easily. In Italy, blue crab is used mostly in pet food and occasionally served in restaurants.
“Any effort done to control the population has been more or less useless,” said Giuseppe Castaldelli, professor of ecology at the University of Ferrara. “Still, we don’t know what to do with the with the crab.”
Because the crabs are plentiful, the local market price is low and makes it hard to turn a profit. But recently, a Sri Lankan company named Taprobane Seafoods has partnered with the fishers through the local consortium to create a new supply chain for global exports. Italian fishers catch the crabs, while the company provides expertise in processing and commercializing the food to international markets, including the US. Some locals are also employed at the processing facility.
“Within months, the (blue crab) species had escalated from a minor presence to a major threat,” said Paolo Mancin, the president of the Consorzio Cooperative Pescatori del Polesine, which helps manage stocks and maintenance of the lagoons. “The partnership aims to transform an invasive species that severely impacted clam farming into a new economic opportunity for local fishermen and workers.”