Blue Crab
About this good practice
"Blue Crab" is an integrated control project targeting the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) C. Sapidus, with the goal of protecting native biodiversity through the establishment of a food supply chain, leading to a significant reduction in its population.
The decline of artisanal coastal fishing is influenced by the blue crab, which damages biodiversity and the socio-ecological system.
Professional fishermen, restaurateurs, product processing companies, hotels, schools, starred chefs, and direct consumers were involved.
Region, municipalities, and control bodies were also involved in two-way events where they were trained, informed, and participated by providing input and insights. An example of this process is the production of a euthanasia protocol for the suppression of decapods or even the efforts to produce funding lines and calls aimed at supporting activities to fight the species.
4 main actions were carried out:
1) Experimental control of C. Sapidus;
2) Preliminary evaluation of potential supply chains;
3) Monitoring of aquatic biocoenosis;
4) Dissemination and awareness aimed at administrations, citizens, fishermen, and restaurateurs.
The project involved an experimental approach to collecting information on selective capture techniques and the spatio-temporal diffusion of the target species.
Through questionnaires, show cooking, and dissemination days, the potential of the supply chain and communities' knowledge of the species and its negative effects were assessed.
Resources needed
€159,507.29 funded, useful for investigating the presence of the Blue Crab on 2 river banks. 10 operators were involved in monitoring/supply chain/disclosure activities. To activate the supply chain, it is necessary to involve 20 people and extend the activities to 4 river mouths.
Evidence of success
The species has entered a local short food supply chain. Others are the evaluations of the most compatible supply chains with the local Socio-Ecological System.
A manual detailing the procedure for constructing selective traps for C. Sapidus fishing has been developed.
Guidelines for the health control of the species during its marketing, the areas of greatest abundance along with the optimal time window for its fishing were defined.
Potential for learning or transfer
The practice presents some strong points: continuous control of an IAS, environmental benefits, generation of economic activities, valorization of a waste in the economy.
The actions can be extended to the entire Adriatic-Ionian macroregion through the involvement of large-scale retail trade and companies capable of transforming and making the product more attractive, and implementing a common policy to mitigate the harmful effects of an already abundant IAS.
The potential for transferability is high because it is a “non-default practice” that through:
1) "Science-based" ecosystem monitoring and data collection
2) Feasibility assessment within the local socio-economic system
Enables tailoring of IAS countermeasures to ecosystems and local socio-economic peculiarities of any area.
Policy makers can be informed about "science-based" integrated management methods to fight IAS and improve the functionality and resilience of the socio-ecological system of their territorial contexts.
Further information
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
