As the blue crab becomes a business abroad, the EU won’t come to Italy’s aid

Brussels – The blue crab is off-limits. Since it is being eaten and sold, the European Union has no intention of intervening, as it has become a source of income and opportunity. Translation: Italy is on its own. Faced with the advance of a shellfish that arrived in the Mediterranean carried by ship hulls and spread due to the absence of natural predators, its impact on the local marine environment is something Italy must get used to.

Dario Nardella and Giuseppe Lupo, PD MEPs, also raised the alarm in a parliamentary question. The blue crab, an invasive alien species from the Atlantic coast of the United States, has now settled in the Tyrrhenian Sea, notably in the Orbetello lagoon in Tuscany, where it is causing serious harm to biodiversity and fishing activities,” they denounce. However, the EU rejects the request for action due to differing reactions to the problem.

“Bearing in mind that this species is currently being fished and commercialised in some Member States, the Commission has not proposed it yet for inclusion on the list of invasive alien species of Union concern,” explains Jessika Roswall, the Commissioner for the Environment. Sure, the EU acknowledged the potential negative impact of the blue crab due to its presence and spread, but the decision was made not to intervene, and for now, there are no plans to change that stance.

 For Italy, the bad news does not end there, because it is up to Member States to eradicate the presence of invasive species that impact ecosystems. So, in this specific case, it is Italy that must provide, alone, for the elimination of the blue crab from its waters. Roswall, moreover, is clear when she points out that under the law, the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive “requires Member States to address and correct marine environmental damage in their waters and reach ‘Good environmental status’ (GES),” where good environmental status concerns non-indigenous species that adversely affect the ecosystem. “It is a Member State responsibility to prepare a ‘programme of measures’ listing national actions allowing to reach GES.”

Thus, the blue crab is a problem for Italy to solve. The country is therefore at a crossroads: either it turns the shellfish into a business, like other member states have done, or it gives up the new stream of revenue and, in addition to lost profits, ends up bearing the costs of cleaning up its own seas. The choice is political, and entirely Italy’s. At most, the EU can provide support for fishing and aquaculture businesses by financing national initiatives under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).