The prawn, safe from the blue crab

• Study The turbidity of the Guadalquivir hits the largest Andalusian fish farm

The population sampling of the Guadalquivir estuary being carried out by the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) detects a high presence of

larvae

, which will lead to a peak of abundance this summer. The good news is that after two months of analysis of their stomachs, so far no trace of

has appeared

. Therefore, the highly valued delicacy is not among their favorite prey, contrary to what was feared, reports

, a researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia.

Like its distant cousin the red crab, the blue one comes from the shores of the

, and has arrived, probably in the ballast waters of ships. The same origin of another recent

, the Asian algae. In all three cases, eradication is considered "impossible". The alarm with the blue crab is recent, less than five years old, and derived from the possibility that it was preying on the famous

shrimp

, something that local fishermen disclosed. González Ortegón anticipates that two months of analysis of the stomachs of fish specimens show that this is not the case.

"The shrimp is a potential prey, both are buried in the sediment, but we have not detected it," says the researcher.

"Fishermen are concerned because

, but other causes may have an influence, such as the health of the estuary itself", which this year shows an abundance of breeding fauna, specifically also prawns in that fishing reserve, as detected by the experts from the Guadaconect program, which studies the biodiversity of the estuary.

Enrique González Ortegón, researcher at the Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia EL MUNDO

That abundance includes the blue crab. "It is expected that this summer its quantity will be very high because we are detecting abundant peaks of this larval and juvenile phase," adds Ortegón. If two years ago each unit of effort - extraction from the net - produced about 15 crabs, last year it

. In the

, where it all started on the peninsula less than a decade ago, they hardly ever catch anything other than this crab. About 60 tons last season.

Ortegón participates in the Invblue project that, with funds from the Ministry of Science, analyzes its distribution and the strategies to live with it. Regarding the first, it indicates that it is found everywhere, especially in estuarine habitats, such as

, Guadiana, Palmones, Piedras, or the

Conileño

. The species needs the variable salt gradient of these areas. It is very aggressive, and dangerous for anyone who tries to catch one. Its powerful claws - with which it captures mollusks, such as clams, razor clams or snails - make it fearsome for other crabs, which it eliminates from the ecosystem, such as the coñeta or

.

Regarding the management of the species, its future depends on including it in the economic ecosystem. Like

, which can be seen as fertilizer and shoe

,

is already in restaurants, for example in the laureate

. The Junta de Andalucía has recently authorized its fishing on foot "to prevent its expansion". González Ortegón anticipates that the capture from professional boats will be allowed shortly, as the fishermen claim.

On the horizon of consequences appears the effect that the invasive species can cause in the

, where it would have as its prey the

, a crustacean that generates its own industry;

and on the coast with the coquina, a highly valued mollusk that also creates employment.

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