The ships can capture at the mouth of the Guadalquivir blue crabs, an invasive “very aggressive” species

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, through the General Directorate of Fisheries, is preparing an order that will allow ships to capture blue crabs with nasas in the reserve of the mouth of the Guadalquivir. It is an invasive “very aggressive” species and, from the Ministry, “different measures are being taken so that” it does not expand “, since” they are so aggressive that they can compromise other species of fishing interest. “

The first measure adopted was that the marsters could fish; The second was authorization for the use and commercialization of the species; And the third is this order with which “the possibilities of extraction also to the ships are extended,” explain sources from the department of Ramón Fernández-Pacheco to Europa Press. “With this order, what is intended is Attend a petition from the fishing sector “they point from the Ministry.

Before publishing the new order, the Board has opened a Public consultation period to make contributions to the order. The deadline will remain open until March 12 This year. Although it is an invasive species, the blue crab is included in the catalog of commercial species for “its high market value.”

At the moment, There is “a high expansion” of this invasive species In the mouth of the Guadalquivir River that “the fishing, shellfish and aquaculture sector for the impact it is causing on the estuary, since it is here where there is the greatest concentration of this species, the focus of dispersion of it being,” is specified in the public consultation.

Therefore, it is considered necessary to establish a control plan for the capture of the blue crab (callinectes sapidus) at the mouth of the Guadalquivir by use of crab and NASA manufactured in plastic or metallic material type American type to control the expansion of this species and ensure an exploitation model that “guarantees the sustainability of the activity itself and in turn to reach the Maximum sustainable performance of this fishery to last over time. “

This week, in the Fishing Monitoring Commission at the mouth of the Guadalquivir, and have presented the results of the Blue Crab population. Among the most important conclusions, the Board emphasizes that the population of this species “It has settled in the estuary area and manages to develop abundantly due to the amount of food available And the optimal climatic conditions for this, managing to maintain its biological cycle throughout the year, unlike in its natural habitat, where it has been proven that this species is capable of hibernating during periods of low temperature. “

It has been observed that maintains a very diverse dietcomposed of bivalve molluscs, crustaceans and fish, being able to break the mollusc shells with their tweezers. It has also been possible to verify in the analysis of the stomach content that abound remains of beats and crabs, native and of the same species, “finding that it is a cannibal species.”

In the distribution in the river it has been proven that the females are located in the lowest part of the estuary, while the males are in the highest part, finding a Transition zone near the elbow of La Esparraguerawhere the fertilization of the posts will take place. After the marking experience with transmitters, it has been found that males can move on the same day several kilometers, even outside the estuary, facilitating that invasive capacity.

Despite being an invasive species, It is shown as a possibility for the fishing sector to increase the income of the shellfish and fishermen in the area, since they are being captured of the order of 75 kilos per day and shellfish in winter; And up to 300 kilos in summer, around the downloads in the fish market the 50 tons per year. The sale price is between 4.5 to seven euros.