Blue crab invasion upends Italy’s culinary traditions and ecology.
Blue crabs crossed the Atlantic as stowaways in the ballast water on large ships, and with no natural predators they’re overtaking Italy’s marine ecosystem. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, female blue crabs produce up to 8 million eggs a year, and in Venice’s lagoon, they’ve became unstoppable, disrupting the ecology — and economy. The crabs prey on young clams, mussels and oysters, and have destroyed up to 90 percent of the area’s young clams, causing severe damage to future production.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2024/08/12/italy-blue-crabs-atlantic-invasive-venice-chefs/
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