Italy has started exporting a delicacy prized abroad, reviled at home

SCARDOVARI, Italy (AP) – Italian fishermen for two years incinerated most of the invasive Atlantic blue crabs caught in the Po River Delta south of Venice.

What happened

While experiments in containment continue, including the release of tens of thousands of octopus predators, the industry's response has been shifting to find new markets for the crustaceans. The strategy is already salvaging the livelihood of some fishermen and, some hope, may even rehabilitate the much-maligned crab's image in Italy. Fishermen pivot to salvage livelihoods.

Like other members of his local cooperative, second-generation fisherman Federico Zago saw his income crash after the crab invasion. The Polesine Fishermen's Cooperative Consortium's revenues fell 75% to 15 million euros ($17 million) in 2024 and 2025; the cooperative's active members additionally shrank from 1, 500 to 850.

The bottom line

For now, italy has started exporting a delicacy prized abroad, reviled at home remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.