The struggle against blue crabs is continuing for Albanian fishermen and their Greek, Sicilian, and Tunisian counterparts.
In 2020, the alarm was raised over the “invasion” of blue crabs into Albanian fishing waters. The species was first found in Albanian lagoons in 2006 but their numbers have increased rapidly over the last ten years. They are particularly prevalent in the Karavasta Lagoon where they clog up fishermen’s nets and are devastating the native marine life.
Spase Shumka, a lecturer at the Agricultural University of Tirana and specialist in hydrology told Exit that they are in high abundance in fishing nets and that”the population of the blue crab is well established in all coastal water bodies of Albania”. This includes the Narta and Karavasta Lagoons in both drainage and irrigation channels.
They are a delicacy in the US, but in Albania, they take the fish from fisherman’s nets, damage the nets, and leave them with nothing to sell.
Considered as one of the top 100 invasive species in the region, they have disrupted the balance of native populations leading to the decline and extinction of some others, including local crabs. Their impact has also been felt on native bivalves including the Palourde clam.
“There is a clear impact on ecosystem services of these water bodies. The fact of intervention in existing food webs, including fish and mollusks, is one of the major impacts on the marine environment. These are reflected through trophic interactions, competition with native species, and habitat modification such as burrowing activities observed in Karavasta and Orikum.
Global warming is further exacerbating the situation as it creates conditions where the crab can thrive.
Fishermen say they are collecting up to 300kg of blue crab a day, compared to the 5 or 6 kg of fish they are able to sell each day. There is no demand for them in Albania and 1kg is worth around 40 cents. They cannot export to the EU so just leave them in the sun to die
Shumka said that the coastal commercial fishing industry is significantly impacted. Following observations in Orikumi, Karavasta, and Narta, the crabs eat most of the fishermen’s haul before they are able to retrieve them. While it’s hard to pinpoint exact figures, local fishermen are highly concerned.
But their numbers are continuing to grow. In Greece and Tunisia, authorities are on alert after the presence of the blue crab saw a sharp decrease in the presence of other crustaceans. So far, the Albanian authorities are yet to intervene with any solutions or acknowledgment.
Authorities in some other countries have taken much more proactive steps. The Mazara Fisheries and Blue Growth District have joined a project called the Bleu Adapt in collaboration with the University of Palermo. The aim is to contribute to the lasting development of coastal areas and to preserve the habitats of the Mediterranean.
They will be working on strategies that will counter the blue crab invasion as well as provide assistance and training to fisherman who want to fish and sell it.
In Albania, Shumka believes that one measure that could help to curtail the crabs’ dominance would be to issue permits to fish with specific fishing baskets. This is what happens in the US where the crab originated from. It’s also believed that the crab has a higher fertility rate than other crabs, therefore a joint Mediterranean approach is required. Another solution is to encourage the consumption of crab on the local market. Currently, prices are too low but if the demand was created, particularly in tourist areas and larger cities, this could increase.
