Women combat the invasive blue crab in the Mediterannean

Mariscadoras was founded in December 2021 by Carlotta Santolini. e threat of the invasive blue crab to the Mediterannean’s ecosystem drove the creation of Mariscadoras. e company’s goal is to popularize blue crab with consumers, because humans are the blue crab’s only predator, says Ms Santolini. Popularizing blue crab products will help the local ecosystem and shermen alike. e Mariscadoras team is made up of ve women, all from di erent academic backgrounds. Ms Santolini, a marine biologist, is supported by an anthropologist, an engineer, an economist, and a chef. eir range of backgrounds has made them a strong team and has contributed to the company’s rapid progress, says Santolini. She also adds that they have had to work quickly because the situation with the blue crabs is an emergency. Mariscadoras was named in honor of the Galicean women who are ghting for gender equality in the maritime sector in Spain. e company is working with shermen in the Northern Adriatic Sea where blue crabs are ubiquitous. Ms Santolini explained that originally, when shermen caught blue crabs in their nets, they would simply throw them back into the sea. Explaining the importance of the blue crabs’ removal to shermen has been one of the most di cult tasks for the team. ey have now negotiated contracts with the shermen who now sell the blue crabs they catch to Mariscadoras. e crabs are processed into a variety of products like frozen whole crabs, crab sauces, as well as crab meat from different parts of the crab. Mariscadoras are facing, their less expensive, nonBio sh products are once again more popular. Bio consumption is still growing and showing a positive trend compared to pre-Covid period. Cromaris is hoping to expand its Bio sh production in the coming years but must rst understand the market and develop a communication plan to explain the bene ts of Bio sh for the environment and sustainability. collaborates with Tagliapietra, a larger sh producer that has helped distribute Mariscadoras’ products, labeled as BlueEat, to some Italian supermarkets. ere is demand for blue crab in Greece, Tunisia, Albania, Croatia, and Montenegro, and the company is working to grow demand, especially in Italy. At the start, it was di cult to teach consumers about the importance of eating blue crab, but now there is more interest in Italy, and it is even more popular among consumers in Spain and the United States. Santolini and her team are optimistic that Mariscadoras can make a di erence for the Mediterranean ecosystem and women in the shing sector.