France: Brittany's mussel farms ravaged by surging spider crab invasion

Mussel farmers in northern France are facing a crisis due to an increase in spider crab population, which has led to the decimation of their crops in the gulf between Brittany and Normandy. The explosion in crab numbers over the past decade threatens the future of the mussel industry, leading to significant financial losses and calls for government assistance. The French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) is studying the crabs to develop strategies to mitigate their impact, but in the meantime, mussel farmers are permitted to catch and release the crabs to reduce their numbers near mussel concessions. However, farmers are advocating for spider crabs in their farming areas to be classified as pests, allowing for more aggressive control measures.

Mussel farmers in northern France are grappling with a deepening crisis as spider crabs devastate their crops. A prized marine resource themselves, the crustaceans have become relentless predators of mussels and other shellfish – threatening the future of the industry. In the gulf between Brittany and Normandy, the spider crab population has exploded fourfold over the past decade. They're fished year-round these days, no longer just from early autumn to early spring. This season, farmers in the bays of Saint-Brieuc and Fresnaye, on Brittany's picturesque northern coast, were alarmed to discover the spider crabs had eaten most of their crop. It's a problem that has persisted for years but which the regional mussel farmers union says is now untenable. Local businesses are reporting losses of millions of euros and calling on the authorities for urgent help. The shallow bays, fed by nutrient-rich waters from the Atlantic, have for generations supported France's treasured bouchot ...