Italy's government says it will commit $3.2 million to fight the spread of a particularly aggressive crab species that is threatening the country's status as one of the world's top producers of clams.

The "blue crab," which originates from the western Atlantic, has spread across several lagoon-like locations in Italy in the past decade, preying on local shellfish, fish roe and other aquatic life, to the anger of Italy's seafood industry. Experts say it is unclear why the animals are now growing in numbers with such speed or whether there could be a direct link to the climate crisis.

Last week Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida visited the delta of the Po river valley in northern Italy, one of the most affected areas, and said the government would approve the emergency funding at a meeting. The $3.2 million will reportedly be given to fishing cooperatives and aquafarmers who are trying to bring down blue crab numbers with a large-scale fishing campaign.

Fishermen in affected areas have already been advised to catch as many blue crabs as possible to curb their numbers, but in the Po delta valley efforts have not made much of a difference. Last week Emanuele Rossetti from the Fishermen's Cooperative of the Polesine, part of the Po delta valley, said that as much as 12 (metric) tons of crabs were being caught every day.

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However, that was apparently having little impact on the crab population. "We are disheartened," Rossetti said. "Juveniles have been almost completely preyed on, for sure we will have next year a very big crisis and shortages in the market."

Meanwhile, only a small proportion of the crabs that have been caught are sold for human consumption, as they are a relative novelty attracting little demand. The rest are simply destroyed, although there are plans to use some for animal feed purposes.

Farming lobby Coldiretti said the crab "invasion" was turning into a "natural calamity" threatening the survival of 3,000 family firms in the Po delta that rely on the shellfish industry, who are already struggling due to the impact of increasing droughts in the region.

Italy is Europe's biggest producer of clams, and the third largest in the world behind China and South Korea, according to U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization data from 2021.

It is also home to spaghetti alle vongole – spaghetti with clams – a classic of Italian cuisine. 

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