The Atlantic Blue Crab Callinectes sapidus has been recognized as invasive in the Mediterranean Sea, where it now provides a significant contribution to artisanal fisheries. In this study, we compared the efficiency, selectivity, and productivity of American wire crab traps and traditional fyke nets for the capture of Blue Crabs in a study conducted from June to December 2019 in the Parila Lagoon (River Neretva Estuary, Croatia). A total of 7707 specimens were caught in 15 wire traps, comprising 6959 males and 749 females. The total catch using 50 traditional fyke traps was 1451 crabs, of which 1211 were males and 240 were females. In general, wire crab traps showed a higher capture selectivity and economic performance compared to fyke nets. The catch per unit effort (CPUE) was 102.76 kg for the American wire crab trap and 5.96 kg for the traditional fyke net. The CPUE of gravid female Blue Crabs was lower for the wire traps than the fyke nets. Herein, the utility of crab traps as selective fishing gear for the capture of Blue Crabs, and management tools for control of the reproductive and recruitment phases of the crab, are discussed, with the perspective of future exploitation of the species as a commercially valuable shellfish product in the Mediterranean.

The recent increase of the local population of gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, in three areas along the southeastern Adriatic Sea: Malostonski Bay (Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina), Neretva Estuary (Croatia) and Boka Kotorska Bay (Montenegro) and its adverse effects on shellfish culture by preying on Mediterranean mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the European flat oyster, Ostrea edulis, are studied. The results from the analysis of the existing information show that the main reason for the recent increase is the escapes from local fish farm which enrich the local population constantly with new gilthead sea bream. The existence of practically endless food in the area of the shellfish farms allows the concentration of the population in the region instead of its dispersion along the Adriatic coast. Moreover, ecological analysis indicates that the gilthead seabream is facing a very low competition from other local species which enhances its capacity to further populate the region. While the impact on the ecosystem is not yet known, the socio-economic impact of the increase of the gilthead seabream population is evident today. Many shellfish farms are closing today in the region since the damages may reach over 90 % of the production.

"The occurrence of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 (Decapoda, Brachyura, Portunidae) in the eastern Adriatic (Croatian coast)" published on 01 Jan 2008 by Brill.