The invasive blue crab has transformed Italy’s Adriatic coast, threatening traditional fisheries and livelihoods. As eradication proves impossible, fishermen and researchers are exploring new ways to manage the invasion, from natural predators like octopuses, to tapping into international markets and adapting local culinary styles.
Blue crabs are seen inside a crate in a processing plant in Scardovari, in Italy’s Po River Delta, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolo Lupone)
Federico Zago, a second-generation fisherman, who pulls up crabs by the cageful from his traditional fishing cabin built on stilts over the Scardovari Lagoon in Italy’s Po River Delta, poses next to a trap containing blue crabs, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Colleen Barry)
Research technician Antonio Casalini checks a female of octopus at a research lab in Cesenatico, Italy, Thursday, Aug 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Blue crabs are seen inside a crate in a processing plant in Scardovari, in Italy’s Po River Delta, Aug. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolo Lupone)
