So-called alien shrimps are causing problems on Lake Garda, so much so that even the WWF has issued warnings. Their habitats are becoming problematic.
Padenghe sul Garda – A special animal species keeps experts busy on Lake Garda. One of the favorite travel destinations of Austrians and southern Germans is Lago di Garda, as it is also called in the local language. The beautiful panorama and the possibilities available make the approximately four-hour drive from Munich remote lake into a tourist hotspot. But in Padenghe sul Garda, in addition to the insect invasion on Lake Garda, experts have other animal concerns than an excessive number of holidaymakers.
Lake Garda problem of “killer crab”? Animal species worries residents and experts
Padenghe sul Garda is located in the southwest of Lake Garda on the way from Gardone to Peschiera. The next larger city is Brescia. The WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Bergamo Brescia is now warning in a video about the presence of the “Red Louisiana Crayfish”. Many Italian media outlets are reporting on the animal and giving it different nicknames. Südtirolnews.it calls it “alien shrimp”, The Saronno and The Voice of Trentino According to the WWF, the shrimp is called “killer crab”.
But what exactly is so bad about the alien shrimp, or killer crab? The problem is explained in a short video by the WWF, which is making the rounds on social media. Many animals were found dead, and according to Italian media, this caused a certain amount of panic among residents and guests. It is, as well as gardatoday.it WWF cites it as “a highly voracious, alien species that has a strong negative impact on the ecosystems and habitats in which it spreads”. NABU (Nature Conservation Union Germany) once reported also reported an occurrence of the same species in Berlin and wrote: “In addition, the bright red crayfish is a danger as it carries a fungal disease (crayfish plague). The animals themselves are immune to this disease, but for European crayfish species the ‘crayfish plague’ is fatal. The migratory animals carry the infection to the nearest body of water.”
“Contain the spread”: Expert does not want Lake Garda panic, but speaks of caution
The “Red Louisiana Crayfish” is considered the most widespread crayfish in the world and at the same time one of the most harmful alien species. The Saronno quotes the Italian side www.specieinvasive.it, which states: “Eradication is almost impossible to achieve, except in special situations. In this case too, the management strategy is prevention.”
The killer crab is characterized by “high adaptability, aggressiveness and reproductive potential.” It can spread very easily anywhere near freshwater, regardless of whether it is lakes, ponds, swamps, rivers or streams. In Lake Garda, divers recently hunted a “very voracious” monster fish.
South Tyrol News quotes Paolo Zanollo from the WWF, who says: “There is no reason to panic, but the problem should not be underestimated.” However, according to Zanollo, the invasive species of crayfish has enough natural enemies. “Seagulls, herons and various fish species such as perch, eel and especially catfish feed on them. A study has shown that more than half of the catfish’s diet consists of these crayfish.” Lake Garda will never be completely without the crayfish, just like German tourists. But unlike the tourists, there are ways to combat the animals: “What we can do is to contain their spread.”
A hiker in Calabria had a bad experience with another animal, a hell adder, while holidaymakers at Lake Monticolo witnessed a snake in May. (ank)
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