ZAGREB, 16 Feb (Hina) – A serious threat to the Adriatic Sea are invasive species, with the blue crab being one of the most significant, however, experts gathered in the BlueDiversity project see the solution to this problem as an opportunity for economic development and an additional offer by local restaurants.
Chesapeake blue crab, a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, is rapidly spreading and threatening native species.
Due to human activities and the discharge of ballast water from ships, it has spread across many European marine ecosystems, including the Adriatic and Aegean Seas. The blue crab is a highly adaptable species, resistant to various salinity and temperature conditions, and its ability to reproduce rapidly has allowed it to spread along the entire Adriatic coastline.
Interreg BlueDiversity project
The Interreg BlueDiversity project, co-funded by the European Union, brings together Croatian and Italian researchers.
It “aims to create replicable models for a blue economy transition, facilitating knowledge transfer and strategic dissemination among various stakeholders to support future innovations in the region.”
The project intends to enhance ecosystem services (ESs) along the Mediterranean coastlines of Italy and Croatia by promoting sustainable practices that reduce human impacts on biodiversity. To preserve the native population of fish and other marine organisms, it is important to continuously monitor the number of blue crabs and take measures for their control, experts say.
Researcher Josip Boban from the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Areas in Split-Dalmatia County has told Hina that one of the main goals of the project is the implementation of sustainable fishing methods, through the use of ecologically friendly traps for the blue crab. These traps minimise bycatch and reduce its numbers without endangering other marine organisms.
Boban emphasises that the project also promotes the commercialisation of the blue crab as a sustainable resource.
“Given that this species has a high reproductive potential, it is possible to have continuous harvesting, which would regulate its population and reduce its negative impact on the native ecosystem. It would also give local businesses the opportunity to enrich their offerings and sell it on the market,” he added.
“Using the blue crab in local restaurants and tourist destinations contributes to sustainable tourism. Through educational tours and specialised menus, visitors and tourists can learn about the importance of controlling invasive species, as well as the significance of preserving marine ecosystems,” Boban says.
Blue Crab monitoring programme
“We are starting research and establishing a programme to monitor the blue crab, an extremely aggressive predator that feeds on various organisms, which threatens native species, including the eel, a strictly protected species crucial for the stability of the ecosystem,” said biologist Jelena Kurtović Mrčelić, also from the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Areas.
The BlueDiversity project started in March last year and will run until the end of August 2026. The project includes four Italian and three Croatian partners. The Croatian partners, in addition to the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Natural Areas and the Public Institution for the Management of Protected Areas of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, include the Split Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries.
The value of the project is around two million euros, and it is funded by the European Union.
