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Italians Enter Uneasy Truce with Invasive Blue Crabs, Exporting Crustaceans They Won't Eat

Italian fishermen have shifted from incinerating invasive blue crabs to exporting them, aiming to salvage livelihoods after a government-funded eradication program failed. The Polesine Fishermen's Cooperative Consortium now processes crabs through a joint venture with Sri Lankan partner Taprobane Seafoods.
The Consortium saw revenues fall 75% to 15 million euros in 2024 and 2025 as invasive crabs decimated native clam farms, shrinking active membership from 1,500 to 850. This economic crisis forced a strategic pivot.
Crabs are steamed, frozen, and shipped to Sri Lanka, where Taprobane Seafoods workers remove meat by hand before exporting to international markets. The Consortium's strategy is working; so far this year, it has sold every crab caught, eliminating incineration.
Owner and chef Stefania Marchesini of The Yogi is paying premiums for soft-shell crabs known locally as moeche to change Italian tastes. Customers are skeptical at first but react positively to the delicate flavors, she said.
Climate change and drought-driven salinity drops favor crab reproduction, according to invasive species expert Piero Genovesi. While government commissioner Enrico Caterino has shelved the failed eradication program, fisherman Federico Zago hopes the export market continues to grow.

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