The blue crab ate 70% of the clams of Goro and Comacchio: “And the worst is yet to come”

The fishermen's complaint: "It's just the beginning". Among the possible initiatives is a campaign to promote the crustacean for food purposes

BOLOGNA – In the first five months of this year, almost all of the production of clams has already been lostin the waters of Goro and Comacchio, due to the blue crab. And to say that at this moment the specimens are smaller and fewer in number, because it is estimated that the most significant phase of the proliferation of the species is yet to arrive.

READ ALSO: Romagna has made a mistake: the blue one was an enemy, now it is a typical product
READ ALSO : Blue crab, the government signs aid for fishermen

THE MEETING IN THE PREFECTURE IN FERRARA

This is whythe fishermen are calling for help. Many no longer have “sufficient income to meet daily expenses”, such as bills. And if the contributions promised by the Emilia-Romagna Region are not retroactive, the fishermen “are no longer in a position to carry out” the activity of catching and disposing of the blue crab, “as they have no income”. The alarm sounds after the meeting in the Prefecture in Ferrara, called by the prefect Massimo Marchesiello precisely to take stock of the emergency linked to the ‘alien’ crustacean. Present at the table were the mayors of Goro and Comacchio, representatives of the Region, the Province of Ferrara, fishermen’s consortia, trade associations, trade unions and Abi.

THE MOST SERIOUS CASES UP TO 100% DROP IN CLAMS PRODUCTION

In the first five months of 2024, reports the Prefecture of Ferrara, “the cooperatives report a decline in the production of clams equal to 70% in less serious cases, up to 100% in , in particular, of the cooperatives of Comacchio and of some cooperatives of Goro with concessions in waters too deep to be able to install the fences that prevent the crabs from entering”. Those who have managed to install the fences, which are only permitted for a surface area equal to 10% of the concession, hope that “the juveniles sown inside can survive the summer temperatures, so as to be able to harvest an albeit minimal quantity of clams in the autumn”

EACH FEMALE LAYS FROM 600 THOUSAND TO 6 MILLION EGGS

 The fishermen of Goro and Comacchio have also noted, in recent months, the presence of “smaller specimens” of blue crab and “in smaller numbers compared to the same period last year”. The reason, it is explained, could be linked to the temperature of the water or other factors. However, each female lays from 600,000 to six million eggs. “It is therefore plausible that the next few months will see a significant proliferation of the crustacean.” At the moment the capture of the blue crab mainly concerns female specimens, ready to lay eggs. However, these are animals “not attractive for the market” and therefore sent for disposal. The Conuno consortium, in particular, “decided to resume the collection and disposal campaign at its own expense” and since March 18, 92 tons of blue crabs, mostly females, have been collected.

COLLECTION TOOLS DO NOT ALLOW MASSIVE CAPTURE

Fishermen also complain that the harvesting tools available today “do not allow massive capture of crabs”. For this reason, the trade associations are asking for an exemption to be granted for the use of more capture tools, particularly in areas with a greater concentration of crustaceans. An exemption which, however, has not been granted to date, “not even on an experimental basis and with monitoring functions”. The fishermen are also waiting for contributions from the Region, equal to 1.5 euros for each kilo of crabs disposed of. The request is that the measure be retroactive, thus also covering the collection carried out in recent months. Otherwise, without a contribution, “the fishermen have made it known that they are no longer in a position to carry out this activity, as they have no income”, warns the Prefecture of Ferrara.

AMONG THE HYPOTHESES ONE CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE THE BLUE CRAB FOR FOOD PURPOSES

The cooperatives of Goro and Comacchio then underlined how the one-year moratorium granted by the banks to aquaculture companies actually brings “a very limited benefit for the category since, given the substantial blockade of aquaculture caused by presence of the blue crab, fishermen lack the income to support various other non-deferrable expenses. In this regard, the mayors of Goro and Comacchio express “strong concern for the social repercussions that this crisis is causing on the communities. There are now many families who do not have sufficient income to meet daily expenses, from the payment of utilities to the mortgages taken out for the purchase of their first home”. Among the possible initiatives to be undertaken to alleviate partly due to the effects of the blue crab emergency, at the Prefecture table it was suggested “the implementation of a campaign to promote the blue crab for food purposes, in order to increase the selling prices of the specimens caught, suitable for marketing”. Finally, the trade associations underline “the importance of an extension of the state of calamity already declared for a duration of 24 months, in order to allow companies to be able request contributions also in 2025, being able to demonstrate the drastic drop in turnover that occurred in 2024. The hope also concerns “the appointment of a commissioner shortly, to better respond to the requests of companies”.