The head torch envelops Alessio Tagliati, 41, in a crimson halo as he sails through the waters of the Goro Shelf, one of the coastal lagoons created by the majestic Po River Delta, Ferrara, Italy, October 6th, 2023. Since the invasion of the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) boomed in June 2023 in the Delta of River Po, Tagliati, fisherman and President of Gorino Cooperative, goes out every morning to empty the creels that border his clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) farming yards in a bid to save his harvest and income.

Alessio Tagliati, 41, fisherman and President of Gorino Cooperative, together with his team, collects young clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) from one of their farming yards in the Goro lagoon in order to move them into another area where they will be covered under a sheet anchored in the seabed to protect them from the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) feeding, in Goro, Ferrara, Italy, August 2nd, 2023. The Goro lagoon waters vary from 60cm to 3m. Sheets can cover clams only for few weeks then they must be removed, washed and then placed again. On the seabed, sheets accumulate algae and silt thus reducing the water circulation. If they are not cleaned, clams can die of asphyxiation. Since the blue crabs’ invasion, Gorino Cooperative has bought more sheets than usually used to cover all its yards.

Fishermen harvest what remains of their clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) production on an early foggy morning in the Scardovari lagoon, one of the marine coastal lagoons created by the majestic Delta of River Po flowing into the Adriatic Sea, in Rovigo, Italy, October 3rd, 2023. About 1,500 fishermen work in clams aquaculture in Scardovari. It’s a family business, being each boat one family, with a high percentage of fisherwomen. Fishermen have a daily assigned weight of clams they can collect to deliver to the cooperative and an assigned area of the lagoon to work in order to sustainably manage the clams stock. More than 90% of the local coastal population lives exclusively on clams aquaculture. Since the invasion of the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) boomed in June 2023 in this area, the entire local economy collapsed together with the ecosystem.

Kneeling in the shallow waters on an early summer morning, Alessio Tagliati, 41, realized he has lost his whole harvest of clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the Goro lagoon, Ferrara, Italy, August 2nd, 2023. Tagliati, fisherman and President of Gorino Cooperative, realized he has probably lost his future five years’ income to the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) that invaded the marine lagoons where the Delta of River Po flows into the Adriatic Sea, feeding on everything, and particularly on bivalves like the clams that his cooperative farms.

The first documented specimens of the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) found in the Mediterranean Sea are preserved at the Museum of Natural History Giancarlo Ligabue in Venice, Italy, December 14th, 2023. The very first blue crab was found in 1949 in the Grado lagoon (Italy). Scientists believe that it arrived in the Mediterranean Sea at the beginning of 20th century in ballast water of cargo ships and since then has well proliferated in the Ionian-Adriatic area (Greece, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania). There are at least fifty thousand commercial ships crossing the world's oceans. Until very few years ago, there was no control over all of this; for decades species have been able to move freely around the world aboard ships, covering vastly greater distances than they would have been able to travel under their own power. And so, because of its great commercial importance, the Venice lagoon has become one of the main points of arrival, and therefore departure, for alien species in the Mediterranean.

Clams concrete statues are enlightened on an early foggy morning at the entrance of Goro town, in Ferrara, Italy, October 7th, 2023. With 13,000 tons/year of clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) production, Goro supplied 55% of Italian clams production and 40% of European clams production with an annual revenue of 60 million Euro, until 2023 when the Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) caused the loss of more than 90% production.

About 1,600 fishermen work in clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) aquaculture in the Goro lagoon, in Ferrara, Italy, October 4th, 2023. It’s a family business, being each boat one family, with a high percentage of fisherwomen. With 13,000 tons/year of clams production, Goro supplied 55% of Italian clams production and 40% of European clams production with an annual revenue of 60 million Euro, until 2023 when blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) caused the loss of more than 90% production. More than 90% of Goro population lives exclusively on clams aquaculture.

A blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) comes out of the sieve for clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) harvest in Goro lagoon, Ferrara, Italy, May 24th, 2023. Since April 2023, clams farmers cooperatives found more and more blue crabs in their clams harvests and an increase number of dead-eaten clams.

Meghi Trombini, 26, shows different varieties of farmed clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) in Goro lagoon, Rovigo, Italy, April 20th 2023. With 13,000 tons/year of clams production, Goro supplied 55% of Italian clams production and 40% of European clams production with an annual revenue of 60 million Euro, until 2023 when blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) caused the loss of more than 90% production. More than 90% of Goro population lives exclusively on clams aquaculture.

Alessio Tagliati, 41, removes a blue crab found inside the clams harvest. Since April 2023, his cooperative found more and more blue crabs into their clams harvests and an increase number of dead clams. Ferrara, Italy on October 4th, 2023

An Atlantic blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) trapped in the gill nets used to catch it in the Vistonida lagoon by the Porto Lagos Fishermen's Cooperative, in Greece, June 16th, 2023. According to Greek mythology, the crab was transformed into a constellation by Hera, Zeus' wife, as a reward for its courage in undermining Hercules during the battle against Hydra. In Greece, blue crabs sightings are as far back as in the 1930s and 1940s. In those days Italy was making its clumsy attempt at imperialist expansion; Italians and blue crabs then shared the tragic fate of invaders of Greece. This is why they call it Italòs, the Italian guy: in Greece that is the name of the blue crab.

A commercial ship moored at Ravenna port on November 9th, 2021. There are at least fifty thousand commercial ships moving in the global ocean. They load ballast water to balance their waterline and along with the water they also load plants, animals, microorganisms, eggs, larvae and much more. Until very few years ago, there was no control over all of this and for decades species have been able to move freely around the world aboard ships, thus covering vastly greater distances than they would have been able to travel under their own means. Over 37,000 alien species have been introduced by human activities across all regions and biomes of the Earth, approximately 10 percent of which are classified as invasive. Only at the beginning of 2000s the term “biological pollution” appeared to explain this phenomenon.

Arnaldo Galano, 27, 2nd A/Engineer, shows a UV lamp from the ballast water treatment system (BWTS) inside the engine room of the Grimaldi ship "Eurocargo Alexandria” moored in Ravenna, Italy, November 21st, 2023. UV treatment is performed both on loading and unloading ballast water. In 2017, the Grimaldi Group started the engineering study for the adaptation of its entire fleet to the latest and strictest international regulation regarding ballast water treatment system. At the end of 2023, even before the Italian State ratified the Ballast Water Management Convention, all the Group's ships were equipped with new ballast water treatment systems which comply with the new regulation. The Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) is a 2004 international treaty that became effective in 2017, and it is the only regulatory instrument for ballast water control. At of 2023, only 96 countries have ratified the BWMC. Italy is not among them.

From 14-16 July, the Festival of Clam took place in Goro even amidst sadness and fear of losing the entire livelihood. In the huge handmade pan, volunteers cook 2,500kg of clams and 1,500kg of mussels for the dinner. Ferrara, Italy on July 14th, 2023

Farmed clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) rest 24h in clean water to be processed for the market at Copego bivalves facility, in Goro, Ferrara, Italy, March 22nd, 2023. Copego is the biggest clams farmers cooperative in Goro with 600 members.

Laura Telloli, a worker at Copego bivalves facility, checks the market size clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) on the conveyor belt before packaging, in Goro, Ferrara, Italy, March 22nd, 2023. Daily freshly farmed clams arrive in the facility where they rest 24h in clean water before being sold. Copego is the biggest clams farmers cooperative in Goro with 600 members.

Daniele Maccapani, 35, biologist of Gorino Cooperative, checks the small size clams he farms in the cooperative flupsy plant. Due to the blue crabs’ invasion the Cooperative took the decision of seeding all small size clams under the sheets in the yards lagoon. Ferrara, Italy on July 17th, 2023

A view of Goro old center from the right bank of Po di Goro, one of the branches into which the Po River splits in its delta. Goro is a town of 3,400 people arose between the river and the Adriatic Sea. Ferrara, Italy, September 13th, 2023

Michele Baratti (aka Emiliano), 50, hoists one of the modified creels he has made to catch blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the Goro lagoon, Ferrara, Italy, July 27th, 2023. Baratti, a former clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) fisherman, turned into a specialized blue crabs fisherman since 2021, taking the blue crab’s invasion as an economic opportunity. He was the first fisherman in the Delta of River Po area to learn how to make an efficient blue crab trap watching youtube videos from american fishermen. He became an industry influencer in Italy as well with his own youtube channel and private sale of traps. Yet, when the blue crab’s price on the market fell because of the population booming in summer 2023, he struggled to find clients among traders.

Maria Bugnoli, (third from right), Mayor of Goro, and Pierluigi Negri, (third from left), Mayor of Comacchio, stand with Stefano Bonaccini, Governor of Emilia Romagna region, in front of the container where blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) are sorted to become waste at the delivery dock in Goro port, Ferrara, Italy, November 9th, 2023. Since July 2023, a series of ordinances and legislative decrees have authorized farmers to catch blue crab by any means (creels, nets, lagoon trawls) as an exception to the lagoons protection regulations which are part of the Delta Po Regional Park.

A freshly caught adult blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) female carrying eggs (the orange sponge-like mass under its belly) and an adult male (blue-colored) lay on the boat of Boscolo brothers during a fishing shift in the Scardovari lagoon, Rovigo, Italy, April 18th, 2023. Once clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) farmers, Boscolo brothers turned into blu crabs fishermen in March 2023. Mussels farming has severely declined in the lagoon due to the raising of waters’ temperature and River Po’s drought because of climate change, while contemporarily blue crab population boomed.

After having washed the metal fences from algae, fishermen of Gorino Cooperative prepare to leave the 2 hectares of the Goro lagoon they have closed with fences to protect their clam farms, on March 5th, 2024. In the adaptation process to the blue crabs invasion, clams farmers decided to close their lagoon yards in a bid to prevent adult blue crabs from feeding on clams. Yet, scientists are skeptical this solution could be successful because small crabs and larvae can enter anyway. Moreover, closing lagoon area with fences will negatively affect the currents circulation which take oxygen and nutrients inside the lagoon and are necessary for growing bivalves as well as for all the other animals in the trophic newtwork.

Once collected from the creels in the Goro lagoon, Alessio Tagliati (front) and Cristiano Pizzo (back) work at sorting live blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in Gorino, Ferrara, Italy, October 4th 2023. They prepare 5kg bags of blue crabs to sell to Tagliapietra & Sons, the first Italian food processing company to make blue crabs based food.

A dirty sheet, used by Gorino Cooperative to cover and protect clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the seabed of Goro lagoon against blue crabs’ (Callinectes sapidus) feeding, is hoisted to be washed at Gorino port, Ferrara, Italy, August 2nd 2023.

Fisherman of Gorino Cooperative set one of the sheets used to cover the clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) in the seabed to prevent them from being eaten by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), in Goro lagoon, Ferrara, Italy, July 18th, 2023. The Goro lagoon waters vary from 60cm to 3m. Sheets can cover clams only for few weeks then they must be removed, washed and then placed again. On the seabed, sheets accumulate algae and silt thus reducing the water circulation. If they are not cleaned, clams can die of asphyxiation. Since the blue crabs’ invasion, Gorino Cooperative has bought more sheets than usually used to cover all its yards.

Antonio Penzo, 59, and his son Matteo Penzo, 29, hoist the boxes called “vieri” where they keep the indigenous crabs (Carcinus estuari) in the Chioggia lagoon, Venice, Italy, November 22nd, 2023. The Penzo’s are “moecaro”, that is fishermen specialized in catching and sorting lagoon crabs to produce “moeca”, or soft crab, during molting when the new carapace is not yet hardened. “Moeca” is an expensive food specialty in the northern Adriatic Sea. Since 7 years ago, the population of Carcinus estuaries in the Chioggia lagoon has been constantly decreasing. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) feed on them and compete for the resources.

Antonio Penzo, 59, shows a male (right) and a female (left) of Carcinus estuari, the indigenous lagoon crab of the northern Adriatic Sea, in Chioggia, Venice, Italy, November 22nd, 2023. Penzo is a “moecaro”, that is a fisherman specialized in catching and sorting lagoon crabs to produce “moeca”, or soft crab, during molting when the new carapace is not yet hardened. “Moeca” is an expensive food specialty in the northern Adriatic Sea. Since 7 years ago, the population of Carcinus estuaries in the Chioggia lagoon has been constantly decreasing. Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) feed on them and compete for the resources.

A boat of “vongolari” (clams farmers) zooms at dawn in Po Gnocca River, heading towards Scardovari lagoon for the daily shift of clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) harvesting, in Rovigo, Italy, March 23rd, 2023. Po Gnocca River is one of the branches into which the Po River divides in its majestic Delta.

Mauro Veronesi, 59, (right) and Andy Farinelli, 47, (left) check the last five years of blue crab sales at Goro fish market. From January to August 2023, 118,000 kg have been sold. Ferrara, Italy, September 13th, 2023

Local fishermen at Scardovari fish market discuss in front of their bags with freshly caught blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in Rovigo, Italy, April 18th 2023. Many fishermen of the Scardovari lagoon are converting their fishing habits to adapt to this new species and when they meet each other they exchange information and opinions about the traps they use and the best spots for catches. Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) farming has severely declined in the lagoon due to the raising of waters’ temperature and River Po’s drought because of climate change, while contemporarily blue crab population boomed. Local fish markets sell almost exclusively blue crabs since the deplation of other fishery species.

Fishers use trawling to catch blue crabs, even if lagoon trawling is illegal. Ferrara, Italy on July 27th, 2023

A huge heap of Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) decays in the sun close to the clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) delivery dock at Goro port, Ferrara, Italy, November 9th, 2023. Blue crabs are caught every day by clams farmers and sorted to become waste, because too small or because the young and underdeveloped Italian market is saturated. Since the booming of blue crab’s population in June 2023 until December 2023, more than 1000 tons of blue crabs were caught by clams farmers from the three largest and most affected coastal lagoons of the Delta of River Po, that are Canarin lagoon, Scardovari lagoon and Goro lagoon. A series of ordinances and legislative decrees have authorized farmers to catch blue crabs by any means (creels, nets, lagoon trawls) as an exception to the lagoons protection regulations which are part of the Delta Po Regional Park thus weakening further more an ecosystem already affected by overfishing, pollution and the impacts of the climate crisis.

Marine biologist Carlotta Santolini, 27, wearing a blue crab’s costume, sits exhausted at the entrance of the Exhibition Centre after promoting blue crab’s consumption at International Beer and Food Attraction Fair, in Rimini, Italy, February 22nd, 2023. Santolini is the creator and founder of the startup Blueat with the aim of developing blue crab’s (Callinectes sapidus) food processing in Italy as a way to foster its extraction from the marine ecosystem as well as to sustain small-scale fisheries.

Carlotta Santolini wears the blue crab costume her mother made for her to promote blue crabs’ hamburgers and croquettes at Sigep food fair in Italy, on January 20th, 2026. Santolini founded the all-female startup Blueat in order to promote alien species consumption in Italy, especially of blue crabs, by developing the food processing chain from fishermen to supermarket.

Researchers of the CNR-IRSA Water Research Institute (from left), Rosa Zullo, Rosaria Lauceri, Simona Musazzi and Martina Austoni look at the chitosan film they obtained by extracting the chitin from blue crab’s (Callinectes sapidus) carapace, in Pallanza, Como, Italy, November 20th, 2023. Chitosan is the basic polymer for the development of several bioplastic applications. Its extraction and characterization was developed in a circular economy project together with the Italian startup Blueat with the aim of using carapace’s waste from blue crab’s food processing.

Le Gresine, local restaurant in Comacchio town, proposes a menu based on blue crabs to help the local fishermen livelihood, heavily impacted by blue crabs invasion. Ferrara, Italy on July 31st, 2023. In the United States the blue crab is considered a valuable seafood and supports an important fishery. Yet, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, its commercial value is very low, still being considered a by-catch product in most areas.

A family looks for fishing Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) from the Trepponti in Comacchio, Ferrara, Italy, July 31st, 2023. Trepponti is a 17th century three-bridges building on the waterways connecting Comacchio lagoon to the Adriatic Sea. Since the blue crabs booming, in summer 2023, people and especially children come here to catch blue crabs from the canal and eat them at home.

Michelin-starred chef Chiara Pavan, 38, prepares a cooked blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) for her “environmental menu” at the restaurant “Venissa” on Mazzorbo island, Burano. Pavan focuses on the cuisine of local lagoon products and marine alien species to promote sustainable nutrition habits. Burano, Venice, Italy on April 27th, 2023.

Neven Iveša, 44, PhD biotechnologist, shows the male gonads of a blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) caught in Palud special ornithological reserve, Croatia, September 7th, 2023. Since 2021, Iveša began to find blue crabs along the coasts of Istria. In 2023, Iveša's research focused on studying the stomach contents of the blue crab and found a large concentration of bivalve molluscs and plastic.

Neven Iveša, 44, PhD biotechnologist, and Matej Cief, 22, PhD student from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Jurja Dobrile University, Pula, analyze at the microscope the stomach’s content of a blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) caught in Palud special ornithological reserve, Croatia, September 7th, 2023. Since 2021, Iveša began to find blue crabs along the coasts of Istria. In 2023, Iveša's research focused on studying the stomach contents of the blue crab and found a large concentration of bivalve molluscs and plastic.

Neven Iveša, 44, a PhD biotechnologist from the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Jurja Dobrile University, Pula, looks for blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the brackish water marina of Valbandon in the coastal town of Fazana, Croatia, September 7th, 2023. Since 2021, Iveša began to find blue crabs along the coasts of Istria. In 2023, Iveša's research focused on studying the stomach contents of the blue crab and found a large concentration of bivalve molluscs and plastic. Iveša observed that blue crabs presence in Croatia constantly increased over the past five years. In his opinion, the issue should be addressed at a basin level among all countries bordering the Adriatic Sea instead of developing too local strategies.

Workers of food processing company Forkys Food use UV lights to find and remove tiny pieces of shells from Atlantic blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) meat in Sindos, Thessaloniki, Greece, June 19th, 2023. Forkys Food is one of the biggest Greek food processing companies which are advancing in making blue crab-based products. The goal is to create a new food commodity. Over the years the blue crab population has fluctuated greatly in Greece and it has been increasing continuously for some time. Scientists believe that the present abundance started increasing since 20 years ago when fishermen began using amphorae to catch octopus, taking away one of the crab’s few natural predators much more effectively. Blue crabs sightings anyway are as far back as in the 1930s and 1940s. In those days Italy was making its clumsy attempt at imperialist expansion; Italians and blue crabs then shared the tragic fate of invaders of Greece. This is why they call it Italòs, the Italian guy: in Greece that is the name of the blue crab.

Under the statue of Alexander the Great, on World Day of Sustainable Gastronomy, NGO iSea organized the Blue Crabs Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece, June 18th, 2023. The Festival’s aim is to promote the consumption of alien species, in particular blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), in order to relieve pressure from indigenous species and help the marine ecosystem to recover.

On World Day of Sustainable Gastronomy, Nikoletta Sidiropoulou project manager of NGO iSea organized the Blue Crabs Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece, June 18th, 2023. The Festival’s aim is to promote the consumption of alien species, in particular blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), in order to relieve pressure from indigenous species and help the marine ecosystem to recover.

Freshly caught blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) with tied claws are delivered to Kormaris Crabs in Kozanis, Greece, June 13th 2023. Kormaris is the first Greek trader specialized in selling blue crabs abroad (mostly Europe) since 2010.

Aerial view of the coastal brackish lagoons between Lake Vistonida and the Aegean Sea in Porto Lagos, Greece, June 15th 2023. This area, which is part of the National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, is heavily impacted by blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) population. Photo by Francesco Martinelli

Neget, 73 (front), Stelios Gkilis, 27 (back) and Thanasis Dinos, 23 (center), fishermen of the Cooperative of Porto Lagos, catch blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) using gill nets in Lake Vistonida, in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, from the Aegean Sea, in Greece, June 16th 2023. The cooperative farms different types of mullets (Mugil) and eels (Anguilla) in the lagoon and then sells them abroad (Italy, Albania, Bulgaria) through the ports of Kavala, Patras, Igoumenitsa and Kemanthini. Since 2013 they have also begun collecting and trading blue crabs, whose population boomed in that area.

A view of Lake Vistonida from Porto Lagos, a small community on the strip of land that separates Lake Vistonida, in the National Park of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, from the Aegean Sea, in Greece, June 16th, 2023. Since 2013 the area of Lake Vistonida has seen a booming of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) population.

Alessio Tagliati, 41, sticks the wooden poles with his bare hands into the sandy bottom of the Goro lagoon in order to target blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), in Ferrara, Italy, October 5th 2023. Gill nets have an arrow shape to invite crabs, shrimps and small fish into the trap. It is a fully sustainable traditional fishing technique because it doesn’t need baits. Tagliati looked back at the fishing tradition of his family to find a solution for his present challenges.

The gill net, cogolo, that Alessio Tagliati, 41, set in the Goro lagoon in order to target blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus), has an arrow shape to invite crabs but also shrimps and fish to enter a dead end, in Ferrara, Italy, October 6th 2023. Cogolo is a fully sustainable traditional fishing technique because it doesn’t need baits. Tagliati looked back at the fishing tradition of his family to find a solution for his present challenges.

Thinking about his grandfather’s teachings on how to catch local crabs, Alessio Tagliati, 41, (left) went to visit Gualtiero Conventi, 73, (right) the last nets craftsman in Goro, Ferrara, Italy October 4th, 2023. Tagliati wants to catch blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) by using a sustainable traditional gill net called cogolo, that almost disappeared in the Goro lagoon when fishermen turned to be clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) farmers.

Andrea Passarella, 40, hoists the gill net, called cogolo, full of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in the Goro lagoon, Ferrara, Italy, September 1st 2023. Passarella caught 100kg of blue crabs in 24h. Cogolo is a fully sustainable traditional fishing technique because it doesn’t need baits. Passarella is a fisherman and clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) farmer of Gorino Cooperative and one of few fishermen remained to know the artcraft of gill nets fishing.

Callinectes sapidus (Atlantic blue crab) photographed with light painting technique. Italy, May 5th, 2024